How? But not so much why?
by Loki God of Evil
Summary: A costume party that went wrong, in the worst possible way. This is what happens when the ninja are sent back in time to live the lives of the characters they chose. "But we don't have enemies, we're the villains, Cole!" "Did you ever read any of these stories, Kai?...The bad guys always get it and it's the good guys that get the cred." JayxCole The accompaniment to 'Call me Jay'
1. You're so vain

_**I guess you could say this is a companion guide or a prequel for 'Call me Jay'**_

 _ **Flashback (literally)**_

* * *

"Cole, I believe?" The old man questioned.

Cole nodded apprehensively and walked through to the room that looked like a scene from a science fiction movie. He casually brushed his jet black hair from his face.

Taking in the different parts of the room, he raised an eyebrow and smirked. One part was depicted as a dark and ominous street setting, with an obviously fake oil lamp aglow. Another part of the room was set up like a work station, with various chemical components, test tubes and optical devices. One looked like a coroners metal slab with horrific looking tools, meant for surgery of some sort.

His eyes were suddenly drawn to a section of a ship, that seemed to house two crates, one of which was open but empty. The boat very clearly displayed the name 'Demeter'. The prop itself, was built against a backdrop of choppy and stormy seas with an impressive light display behind it signalling lightning strikes.

"I was told this is where the professional photo's are taking place." Cole stared at the room, admiring certain aspects of it. "Ha, bet Jay and Zane would love it in here, so realistic. This must have cost the organisers a pretty penny!"

The old man smiled at his naivety. "Indeed, please come in!"

He walked around the young smartly dressed man, who was only missing one item from his outfit. "You seem to emulate your character remarkably well, Cole. Have you got all of the props required for the photo shoot?"

' _I would hate to send you back to that era to find you left something behind.'_

Cole reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a six by four inch faux gilt picture frame. He waved it around with a hint of boredom. "So, where do you want me?" He placed his top hat back on.

The old man motioned Cole to a chair, the backdrop of which was an empty picture frame, with a black background. The table in front was draped with a burgundy satin sheet, covering the entire table and most of the floor.

The old man plied Cole with a glass of what looked like wine, before setting up the photo shoot.

He got behind the camera. "Good, good now take a sip of the wine. I want you to look like a charismatic man who would give anything to remain youthful."

Cole looked up in confusion, "Anything?" He replied and sipped the drink as the photographer continued to take pictures. The flash powder created the crackle noise and lit up Cole's face like a bonfire.

"Indeed, a man who doesn't care for life's worries, only for himself and his hedonistic view of life."

Un-beknownst to Cole, was the picture he held firmly would become him, himself. He didn't know it yet though, he had fallen of the chair and had landed in a pile, fast asleep on the floor.

A good few minutes later, he had been loaded into a glass tube and when he finally woke, he was angry. Raging would have been the better description when he realised that he was also restrained in vengestone cuffs.

"Gahh what the! Who are you?" He hissed, watching intently as the old man with a grey moustache walked in front of him.

"No-one of great importance to your new timeline, at least!" He approached Cole and held the picture aloft. "I believe this belongs to you!" He added and placed the picture within the tube.

"You might not like this part!" He laughed to himself and proceeded to squirt paint all over Cole's suit and face. Cole shot him with a look of outright anger and disgust.

He still stared defiantly at the man, who, it would seem, was enjoying squirting artists oil paint at him. "Do you have any idea how much this suit cost? I'll never be able to wear it again. Gahh!"

"Trust me, it'll be the least of your worries, you'll be having far too much fun to worry about that." He replied cryptically. He pulled down the lever and the electrical currents surrounded him, he lay in the tube helpless, eyes wide and for a moment, petrified.

"Trust you! Trust you? I don't even know you or why you're doing this, or whatever the hell you're doing." He glared at the old man, his eyes staring at the lever the man was still holding.

"My friends will come for me." He yelled defiantly.

"Oh I'm planning on it! It makes it all the more entertaining, how easy you are to sway, to coerce." The old man replied and turned the dial to the maximum setting watching as the current master of earth started to vanish from the glass tube.

"Don't worry, you'll all be reunited soon enough!" He smirked and watched as Cole's eyes widened.

The old man, placed his blue pointed wizard hat back on and straightened his robes, before going out to entice another into his photo opportunity. The opportunity to be cast in time forever!

He smiled, he saw another one, smartly dressed, talkative, seemingly playing with electricity without a care in the world. "Perfect! Now for the sales pitch."

* * *

 **I'll try and get the second part up tomorrow, please review.**


	2. Science is a thing of beauty

_**Another flashback, shortly after Cole's disappearance.**_

* * *

"And you would be?" The old wizard questioned,leading the young man into his large photo room.

"Jay!" He said quickly, truthfully and with a hint of cheekiness.

The old man frowned and shook his head,irritated slightly.

"Oh sorry you mean my get up, _my outfit_? Who I've come as? Hahahaha I'm Frankenstein, duh." He smirked and winked his blue eyes. "At your service!" He tipped his hat.

"You know, he was an exceptional inventor, creator. So misunderstood, all he wanted was to be recognised, but he was ridiculed, poor guy." Jay mused and then stared in amazement at the room he had just wandered in to.

"Which prop scene do you think your character belongs at?" The old man questioned and watched as Jay looked carefully from station to station. Jay pointed to the chemistry set and the old man shook his head.

"Oh, how cliché, surely a photo op should give me the choice as to where _I_ want to go!"

The old man pointed to the coroners slab and various macabre props that looked largely fake. He motioned Jay to stand over near the table and green screen behind him. "Ooh macabre haa haa ha." He bit his lower lip and picked the heavy tools up. "Wow these are heavy, how on Ninjago did anyone pick up things this heavy? Let alone use them for hours on end?"

"No idea!" He passed Jay a scalpel with a hidden blade infused with a mild sedative, and got behind his camera, taking a few shots as Jay posed with the tools. "Now pretend to use the scalpel, grip it tightly like you just performed a miracle."

Jay, again picked it up cautiously and then gripped it tightly as ordered, before gasping and dropping it in shock. His hand opened to reveal a small cut no bigger than an inch and a feeling of tiredness creeping up on him.

* * *

"I digress, it is taking longer and longer to coax you all into this plan, so much to do but so little time." He picked Jay up from the floor and like Cole before him, he placed him gently in the large glass tube, securing him with the same cuffs. He grabbed the water bottle from the counter and doused Jay with it, waking him up in an instant.

"Wha…What! Where am I? What, what did you so to me? Argh why am I stuck in here? Gahh let me out!" He thrashed about to no avail.

The old man looked pleased with himself, although he appeared to be tiring, it would be so much easier if he could just get the ninja into the tube without the fight.

The old man showed the instant photo's he had taken and placed one in Jay's suit pocket, before walking back to a control panel and a large lever that he started to push upwards.

"Why are you doing this, what exactly are you planning to do with _me_ out of the picture?"

"It was never just about you Jay, the whole team perhaps, all of the elemental master's out of the way however, and there will be no-one left to stop me."

Jay calmed his breathing down, his fists clenched, "Where are you sending me?"

The old man smirked. " _Where?_ Oh no, no, no, dear boy!" he laughed maniacally. "You mean, w _hen?_ " Came the cryptic reply.

"What?"

"What do you say to a couple of hundred years in the past? Victorian England, to live out your life as a famous character."

"You will have all of his memories, all of his experiences will be your own. You will not remember your current life but you may be drawn to your elemental abilities."

Jay wriggled in his restraints, angry but wildly excited at the opportunity. " _His?_ Wait so I still get to play with lightning right?"

"I said you would be _drawn_ to it, I wouldn't suggest playing with it, because like any other human who touches it, they usually end up dead. Your journey will be cut short if you go against my advice."

"What so I'll be brought back here? Well that's good though right? Right?" He received no response and gulped.

The well dressed magician happily sang to himself as he switched on the machine attached to Jay. "Don't worry, you won't be alone for long, they will all find you eventually. Cole is there already, has been for a century already. Don't worry dear boy, the names you have now will be the names you will no doubt use, once you find each other that is…call it fate if you must!"

"H-how long are you talking about? Who exactly are you sending me back as."

He smirked and looked at Jay, placing his top hat on Jay's head, followed by a few large bolts in his suit pockets as well as a bottle of anti-psychotics. "Is it not obvious? You dressed as this character because you admired him, some sad fascination with his backstory prompted you to dress as he. You are going to live the life of Victor Von Frankenstein. Enjoy, I'm sure it'll be a buzz."

"Wait what? That wasn't real though, it's just a-a novel, he's not real, he's just a character!" Jay panicked in his restraints. His eyes widened as the machine got up to full power, remembering briefly the story that he had read hadn't ended so well for the energetic arrogant inventor.

Suddenly he didn't feel happy, the last few pages of the book he had read depicted him dying at a young age, having trekked across the northern hemisphere of a place called earth. He had followed his creation after losing everything, his wife, his blood brothers, his sanity and pride and eventually his own life.

The electricity began pulsing and snapping above him, the weird metal colander was attached to his head firmly. "Will it hurt?" He asked timidly, with a sense of dread.

He looked at his bound hands, an ornate golden ring appeared on his wedding finger followed by a few horizontal scars on his arms. He recognised them and the patterning immediately and again the appearance of them made him shiver. _'self-inflicted wounds, no. That wasn't in the book!'_

The magician, took his pointed hat off and smiled, "No, it may give you a buzz though!"

At that exact moment, he looked the spitting image of Sensei Wu. He pulled down the lever and watched as Jay's body tensed. "God speed and good luck in your endeavours. Make history Jay, right those wrongs and if you succeed, well you won't but any anyway….have fun!"

The last thing Jay asked as his body was hit with his own element, before he blacked out from the pain, before his body disappeared. "Why are y-you doing this?" He whispered, as his body crackled with lightning, the bolts in his pocket heating up exponentially.

The old man turned up the dial slowly, "Because, as I've already said. Without you all here to protect this city and realm, there will be no-one here to stop me." He smiled and turned the dial to the halfway point.

"I plan on taking over! This city will fall without you here to protect it." He cackled and turned the dial to the maximum setting. He counted to five and watched as the young man dressed as Victor Frankenstein vanished into thin air. All that was left was his empty restraints.

* * *

"Victor?"

"VICTOR?"

Jay was stunned, momentarily. He blinked his eyes and looked around himself. He was sitting next to a work station, no windows, maybe the basement access shafts was all he could see. All he could feel was extremes of cold. "I'm sorry what did you say?" Jay shook his head and held the fabric covered cable in his free hand.

"Are you sure you are okay to run this test, you seemed to have had a moment. A lapse in concentration, as you don't seem to sleep all that well, is it the medication?"

"A visitor is here to see you, said it was of the utmost importance that he meet you in person, Dorian Gray."

Another man was quickly there to help him back up, he recoiled in horror when Jay looked into his eyes. "Victor are you alright? You had a bad turn!" Came an earthy yet gravelly voice.

Jay looked at his wrists and rolled his sleeves down in haste, "Dorian? Wh-why are you here? Do you have an appointment? I'm an extremely busy physician."

Igor gently brushed past the dark haired visitor, who had only appeared a few minutes ago. "Medication?"

Jay grasped his head and shook it gently. "No Igor it's not that, please don't worry yourself. I'm sure it's nothing to be overly concerned about. I'll be back shortly, I-I need to sit."

He stood back up albeit wearily, holding onto the table for support. He left his work station, holding onto the wall. The man who had identified himself as Dorian followed closely behind.

Dorian waited for Victor to sit, he watched as the young inventor took some strong anti psychotic medication and cringed. Dorian had already been around for almost a hundred years living his own self-indulgent life, enjoying everything to the extreme. He was almost invincible as long as his picture was safe.

Yet something had made him arrive at this time, on this day. He had wanted to meet the young man who had created life from death. Animals reanimated with varying degrees of success, and, until recently, a human male. All these endeavours, successful or not, had inspired the forever young Dorian Gray to seek out this most peculiar man.

"I guess one may call it a social visit, although I have no appointment. Can you entertain my presence a little longer at least?"

Jay dabbed at his nose and nodded. "Please continue, hast thou travelled far?"

"Not really, North of here. I do have money if you require payment for this, whatever this is!"

Victor narrowed his red edged eyes and shook his head. "Do I look poor? No actually don't answer that. This look is pure exhaustion, I don't require payment from you. What do you require? Why are you here?" Victor snapped impatiently.

"I came to talk, to offer support, funding, assistance. Honestly I am making myself sound so needy but that is not the case. And I fear that if I divulge it all in one go, you'll likely have me admitted to the asylum." He passed a slip of paper to Victor Frankenstein. "It has my telegraph details and my address."

Victor took it, and cast his bloodied silk handkerchief to the side. He sat back and lifted his legs up onto the table and let out a pitiful sigh. "Thank you, for the offer of companionship, Dorian but I'm too busy to mingle with friends. I have a job to do, a timescale to do it by and a large angry creature baying for my blood if I don't deliver it on time."

"Again, I don't mean to offend, but like I mentioned I am rather busy. Igor please escort our guest to the door. Good day Dorian, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance. "

Dorian stood up abruptly and cast a concerned look at Victor before being shown the study door. The slip of paper was still in his hand, his other hand held his brown glass bottle full of pills.

' _Don't lose that paper please, Jay. We need to stick together, I can't lose you. I've only just found you.'_

* * *

A few hours had passed and Victor and Igor were pulling an all-nighter, the working night was marred by the appearance of a monstrous brute.

"You promised me a bride, I need to feel love, like you did." He growled and pounced upon the much smaller man.

"How dare you! You don't know what love is, you stole it from me. You stole my happiness, killed her on our honeymoon." Victor screeched at his most recent creation as the creature grabbed the smaller man around the neck.

"I loved her, you don't love, you just...destroy and decimate. You're not capable of such things."

The brute punched him playfully not intending on causing too much pain. "You created me to be alone? What life is that, what choice was I given? Why do you get to choose how I live my existence? You may have created me but you do not own me."

"I should mention that the longer the hold me the more brain cells you kill. I can't do this experiment with a depletion of brain cells can I?" He wheezed.

The monster threw him to the floor and Victor scuttled backwards towards Igor, rubbing his throat. "I-I promise, she'll be ready soon, I just need more time and more, more parts."

"A year from now, is the time you have got, otherwise!"

' _Otherwise what? You've already ruined my life what more can you do?'_ He mumbled to himself and watched as his monster exited the building from the smashed window.

* * *

Igor helped him back to his feet, "Victor you really need to get some rest, you've hardly slept."

"Is there a saying 'I'll sleep when I'm dead?'"

Igor shook his head, "Not that I am aware of, but being in the circus, we are not exactly surrounded by educated types, just those that mock and jeer, tease and torment."

"A harsh no life no less, you are so much better away from them Igor. Come lets gets cleaned up for the night. I feel I need a strong drink." Jay walked away with Igor up and out of the dark and eerie basement up four flights of stairs to the top most floor where the bedrooms were.

He heard Igor close his bedroom and he sat on his bed retrieving the slip of paper. "Dorian Gray, he was known as a black heart, a heart as black as coal, the same colour as his hair and his soul. Maybe I should be a poet!" He placed the paper on his night stand under the gas light and got under his covers.

"I may just take you up on that offer tomorrow, Dorian."


	3. Chapter 3

Cole the master of earth walked around his brother in blue, his head cocked to the side. "So who are you dressing up as? Jay!" His voice, deep and gravelly.

"Seriously, don't you recognise the master of evil inventions? The dabbler of all things morally wrong! The one with a quest to prove himself, the one…."

"Jay!" Cole snapped impatiently.

"Haa, this is Frankenstein, see!" He replied holding up the costume. The suit in question looked more like a dusty old faded frock coat, with a black cravat, silver tie pin and pure black silk top hat. The lack of colour seemed to accentuate his blue eyes.

Cole shook his head, "Err isn't Frankenstein, butt ugly with a flat head? If I'm not mistaken he's also stitched together with two bolts sticking out of his neck. Ya know, where the electricity goes in and comes out?" He motioned to Jay's own neck and poked gently at the places in question, Jay giggled in response.

"Besides, the creature was yay big!" He added, over exaggerating by a few feet.

"I reckon to pull it off, you'll need some of those blocks on your feet to boost your height!" He added finally.

Jay considered what was said, even it it was painfully obvious that Cole was confusing the creator with the monster. He still smiled and shook his head, pausing and waiting for any more taunts to come his way. None were forthcoming. "Haa, you think? Actually _Cole_ , that would be his _monster_." Came the sure but cocky reply.

Jay, looking pleased with himself, quickly thrust an old dusty covered hardback book to Cole to prove his point. "See, look _that_ is his _monster,_ emphasis on the word _monster_ , the genius who created him is called Frankenstein, you know _Victor Frankenstein!_ "

"Look, I'm just going on what I know about him. As far as I can remember, Frankenstein was a young man, incredibly smart, yet misunderstood. He wanted the chance to prove himself, and that his inventions and creations worked." He replied, walking to the door to close it. His ex-girlfriend Nya, was walking past, oblivious to the friendly banter coming from within the shared bedroom.

Jay stopped staring at the closed door and looked back up at Cole. His voice now quiet and low. "Furthermore, he was a young mastermind and came from a _rich_ back ground. Plus, he lost both his parents and his brothers when he was young, not sure how though, think I might have skim read that part!"

"I was joking, _Jay_. Anyway, why are you _whispering_?" Cole whispered back closing the gap, his breath ghosting on Jay's face.

"I don't know, I thought it was a secret?"

"How is it a secret when we're all going together?" The master of earth smirked and shook his head, his face less than a couple of inches from Jay's blushing countenance.

"I meant….no, it doesn't matter." Jay shook his head and pulled back slightly. "Sorry, long day. Uh anyway, I feel like I have some things in common with his character profile. So what better way of paying respects to a character I once admired, than to dress up as him?" He admired the Victorian inspired clothes, flicking the dust balls off. "Seriously though, this dude was as creepy as hell but he succeeded and then he became famous!"

"Yeah but he went insane because of social isolation. Then he died, _early_ , because his monster chased him to the frozen north!"

Jay looked up at him again, "You read it too?" Cole nodded, licking his teeth.

"Yeah, it was more like a group reading thing. We _had_ to do it at school and then a few of us decided to recreate it in drama class for induction at Marty Oppenheimer's."

"Cole, you realise not all the interpretations say that he dies though, or the 55 movies they've made! Yeah okay, they did say that he became famous for reanimating the dead. He proved that it could be done, despite the ridicule, and he was still at school, how cool is that?" Jay looked upon his suit proudly then turned his head slightly.

Swiftly changing the subject, "Uhm Cole, who are you going as? I mean you haven't exactly told _me_ anything, and we're due to be there, in what, fifty minutes?"

Cole moved to the side to allow Jay to see his own outfit laid out, and a small but discreet picture frame to accompany. "You'll never guess?" He replied.

He watched with anticipation as Cole held each item up. Jay just stared at it, confusion clearly painted onto his freckled face. "Who is it, just looks like an old suit, I mean, older than mine, that is!"

"Aren't you going to at least guess?" Cole teased again.

Jay paused, tapped his finger on his head, seeing the pure black Georgian inspired suit. "Uh, Dracula?"

Cole shook his head, "two more guesses!"

Jay walked closer and picked up the picture in confusion, it looked vaguely familiar. "Heathcliff?"

"Ha, nope, not even close! Last guess?"

Jay rubbed his hands together and rubbed his temples as if trying to rub the answer from his head. "Sherlock Holmes?"

"Heh, then we're even!" Cole playfully punched Jay on his arm and held up the small faux gilt picture frame. "This is _Dorian Gray_ and _this_ is his cherished picture. Well obviously it's not his _actual_ picture because he's not a _real_ person. The picture goes with the suit, actually it came with it."

Jay cocked his head, "I didn't know you read philosophical novels, Cole! Actually I've never seen you read." He teased again, standing closer to feel the quality. "This looks like an authentic suit, where'd you get it?"

Cole ignored the previous tongue in cheek insult, "I bought it online a month ago, gave precise measurements and it arrived yesterday at the postal offices, just been to collect it."

Jay smirked, "Tell me Cole, how much do you _actually_ know about this charismatic young man you'll be dressing up as?" He was openly testing his brother in black.

"I know _enough_ …" Cole stood his ground, his arms crossed his chest.

"I bet you don't know, _everything_ about him, do you?" Jay raised his scarred eyebrow, a devilish smirk that was hiding something rather important.

His smile widened as he lay sideways on his own bed, propping himself up. He flashed his prize winning smile at Cole. "You see, my mum had a rather risqué book about 'one Dorian Gray.'"

Cole blushed, uncomfortably. "What are you getting at?"

Jay seemed to revel in knowing something that Cole didn't. "Well suffice to say, Dorian, he certainly lived an exuberant life. Full of pleasures and…what would have been considered as sinful indulgence!"

Cole shrugged his shoulders, "So he was popular, he was a ladies man, I think I can cope with that! Anyway enough banter, what time have we got to be at the party?"

"It starts at 9pm, but I'll bet it doesn't get properly started until 11! And I know there's loads of people that have been invited, some celebrities too."

"In that case I'm having a shower, tell the guys they need to get ready… _Now!_ " Cole walked off grabbing his towel as he passed.

* * *

Jay mock signalled to Cole, but instead of going straight to the door he walked back to his bed and removed his own grey suit from the bag. It looked like any normal smart suit with the addition of long tails at the back and a frock coat to be worn over the top, signifying that wherever Victor Frankenstein was based during the story, that it must have been a colder clime.

Jay hadn't long been out of the shower, so he started to get dressed first, removing his shorts and quickly replacing his shirt with that of the ivory dress shirt. The fit was near spot on, it was pressed so well, that there were no creases except for the ones that were supposed to be there. "Haa, like a glove." He smirked and looked in the mirror as he pulled up his black trousers fastening them with the ornate buttons . "Urgh no zips, when were they invented?"

Next was the cravat but he stopped. "Hmm, I'll ask Zane to help with this." He pulled his jacket on and saw Cole walking back in slightly drenched.

Jay quickly walked to the door remembering what Cole had asked but before he had a chance to open it, a tap could be heard coming from the other side.

"Uh Guys?" Lloyd walked in to the room with his face painted. It made him look like a child had drawn a happy and angry face on his own. "Don't, it was a practice attempt. Zane said he'll help." Lloyd grumbled and walked to his desk removing a pack of wet wipes before removing the paint.

Jay struggled to hold back his laughter and grabbed at his stomach. "Wh-Who are you going at Lloyd?"

Lloyd harrumphed, his eyebrow raised, "Jekyll and Hyde, duh!" He laughed. "You don't recognise it, two faces?"

Jay and Cole both shook their heads. Lloyd shot a glance at both brothers who were failing at stifling their laughter. "Look, it's a Victorian England inspired party, everyone is dressing up in the garb from that era. I did a bit of research and this guy came up as someone who was written about during the time."

"Yeah likely because he was the unidentified man known as Jack the ripper." Jay guffawed.

Lloyd shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah maybe you're right, but _that_ was never proven!" He replied with a devilish smirk, wiping the remainder from his face.

He walked across to his own single wardrobe and hung his pure black suit up, for the night ahead. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm really looking forward to tonight. It's not often that we get a chance to mingle with the masses, is it?" Lloyd unzipped his suit and like Cole and Jay were doing, he started to get changed into it.

Both Cole and Jay shook their heads, their heads swiftly turning to the door at the sound of a familiar voice. "Plus it will give us a chance to introduce ourselves properly. You never know we may be given the key to the city." Zane stated, walking in through the open door, having overheard the previous conversation.

"Yeah, like that'll ever happen. Heck they almost gave it Garmadon, sorry no offence Lloyd." Jay mumbled apologetically.

"Hey, none taken, he was a different man back then. Ya know four arms and everything!"

Zane was carrying a long black house coat with black and white gingham lapels, a roll of bandaging and a pair of metal rimmed glasses. "Before you ask, I will divulge. You will likely never guess! This character profile and back story is indeed fascinating. This, my brothers, is the invisible man!"

Jay, as usual, was the first one to speak, "But what are the bandages for?" He queried.

"Simply, so you can see me. Otherwise it would be quite a shock to the system, for me to just appear out of nowhere." He smiled. "Your heart rate alone would likely accelerate, blood pressure would increase…"

"Yeah okay, we get it…" Cole quickly interrupted. And right on cue Kai had walked in carrying a hairy outfit.

"Let me guess, a werewolf of sorts?" He mocked again and pulled on his own suit. The shirt was tucked in to the pure black moleskin trousers. The black velvet overcoat looked impeccable with the addition of the top hat. "And, done!" He said, Cole grabbed his picture frame and placed it securely within his inner suit pocket .

Kai nodded, his brown gelled spiky hair moved with the momentum. "Uhuh, same sort of era. No I'm not the wolf man Jay."

"Hey I wasn't gonna say that. Rude!"

"I'm going as an accompaniment to Nya's costume." He hastily shoved the hairy gloves back into the box.

" _Boring_ , Oh FSM I hope there are going to be others going as scary characters too, otherwise you lot are going to look ridiculous." Jay piped up and let out another laugh as he looked at Zane, Lloyd and Kai.

Kai span around quickly, "Whatever Zaptrap, look this isn't just a _hairy suit,_ the suit is as normal as yours. It just has the addition of the gloves and the fangs."

"So you're like a vampire werewolf hybrid?" Lloyd questioned, his eyebrows bunched together.

Kai's brown eyes widened, "Yes, finally! And Nya, being my sister, is going as Mina Harker. Ya know from Bram Stoker's Dracula!"

Jay cocked his head, "I know who Mina Harker is." He shot a glance at Kai. "My mom, Edna, I swear she had all the old classics. Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, Oscar Wilde and uhm…Robert Louis Stevenson. But those books were quite archaic in style, really hard to get into. That's why I favoured comics, I don't now though, so juvenile!"

* * *

 **Who do you want to see fall next? Answers in reviews hehe.**

 **Thanks for the reviews and follows.**

 **Master of Cupcakes and Mayor of Ninjago city**


	4. Doth my eyes deceive me?

The old man, certainly looked the part, he looked like an extra from a medieval drama. His blue silk cloak and dress skimmed the floor, his hat was the same blue colour with the odd few cartoon inspired stars.

He easily mingled with the party guests, giving them free photo passes, the majority of passes were for _actual_ photos but the special treatment was reserved for only a select few. The only ones who would attempt to usurp him.

A metallic man, typically known as Zane was next on his list. He knew this one could prove difficult, he would no doubt question and calculate the outcome before the old man could even complete the transference.

The old man, dressed as a wizard, had already thought of this outcome. He had reserved a special procedure just for him. He quickly walked up to him, the nindroid was standing at the charity casino table, likely working out odds and placing his bets after a brief pause.

The wizard cautiously walked up to the costumed man. He noted that some sections of his impeccably bandaged face had started to reveal the titanium surface beneath.

"A free photo opportunity awaits you." He motioned Zane to follow and passed him a business card.

* * *

"I must say, this is very impressive. The attention to detail indicates a vast amount of research was undertaken in order to replicate the scenes required." His eyebrows had risen significantly, the only part of his face that could be seen, other than his liquid crystal eyes that were hidden behind transparent electrodes and faux glasses.

Zane walked around the large room. The scene's carried on around the corner, one part however, was curtained off.

"Indeed. You see many people here tonight, have favoured the armchair scene. The blank canvas, the action scenes, or scenes of villainy."

Zane walked around each scene, in the first room, his hands at his sides. Not daring to touch anything in case it was fragile, he didn't want to break anything.

"Scenes of villainy are, popular?" His robotic voice queried, a rising intonation at the end signifying his puzzlement.

"Not all scenes. The boat is very popular, as is the old and incomparable stately home."

"Stately home, impressive. This is a green screen, is it not? Does your computer give a good display of such scenes? How are the guests to know what is behind them when you take the picture?"

The old man took a moment to think about it. "Come I'll show you."

He got behind his computer and pulled up some recent pictures, that included the stately homes in question. "I just ask, which period drama they wanted to be shown in and kaboom the picture displays behind them on my screen here. They then see a perfect mirror image, in front of them. It makes it feels more realistic."

"Anyway, not all favour that scene. Some, it would seem, never sway far from their comfort zone. It may surprise you to know that actors and actresses here tonight, have favoured the macabre, the unknown or the romantic."

"I see by these photographs that Jay and Cole have partaken in the experience! May I have that opportunity?"

The old man smiled, "Of course, it is free after all. Call it a gift from the city of Ninjago, a gift to say thank you for all your hard work."

 _'The gift that keeps giving.'_ He thought.

Zane walked around the computer desk and took his place at a chemistry table. The liquids were set resin plastic, the venue couldn't afford real spillages after all, the dry cleaning costs alone would be extortionate. Most of the tools were glued to the work station, the Bunsen burner, again was fake. The nindroid thought the reason for that would due to the sensitive smoke detectors and sprinklers all dotted around both in here and no doubt in the main room where the main party was taking place.

"You enjoy this line of work?" Zane queried as he looked through the large clear glass magnifier before moving on to the smeared blood on the floor near a dropped scalpel. He placed it down carefully on the morticians slab nearby. "Even the blood is realistic, is it animal blood or a near substitute?" He frowned when he scanned it, it was human blood and from one of his brothers too.

 _'Oh if only you knew!….'_ The old man thought

"It is actually only a _small_ part of the job I enjoy." The old man replied cryptically. "Yes, the blood is a substitute of sorts." He lied.

Zane stood back up, scanning the area for his brother, his scans revealed nothing. His eyes narrowed. "Why do you do this?" He asked with some uncertainty. Trying to stall for time.

"I see the enjoyment in their faces and it is eternalised in the photographic quality. The whole _experience_ speaks for itself Zane, would you like to try it?" The old man asked, a hand held device firmly in his grasp.

Zane recognised the remote control, thinking it might be something to do with the camera or the computer, maybe the green screen and corresponding LCD display. Yet he was still oddly cautious, and it would appear that same feeling was felt by PIXAL. Something was off, he couldn't place it, he hadn't seen Cole or Jay for hours.

He scanned the room for exits, there was only one way out of here, and that was back through the door he had originally come through. In order to get out he would need to get past the old man. Easy enough for a ninja who could move and anticipate any attacks coming his way.

"Careful Zane, the small hand held device he holds does not seem to be linked to his computer." PIXAL spoke into his internal consciousness. He answered her without verbalising anything. He couldn't afford for the old man to know he had been figured out.

"What is it PIXAL? Can you identify it or what it does?" Zane questioned internally, as he took his place, back at the chemistry set prop. The photographer then took his place behind the camera and proceeded to take the pictures.

"I cannot, I am sorry. But it would be wise to use caution." She replied. "Be careful Zane, the blood on your finger belongs to Jay."

Zane's face remained emotionless, it was largely hidden behind bandages. Inside he was worried. "That could have simply been an accident, it was after all a scalpel."

"Potentially an accident, but the blood has traces of a sedative."

Zane stared at the old man, he was partially obscured by a large black blanket over the top of his head as he stared into his own camera. Everything was normal up until he pressed his hand held device and then Zane couldn't see anything at all.

* * *

"PIXAL? PIXAL!"

"Zane, calm down. The device he just used was capable of delivering a power surge. The result of which, indicated a momentary system reboot."

Zane opened his eyes, he was standing upright bound in chains and vengestone shackles. He was completely immovable. His front panel had been opened and his talk button had been switched to the off function.

"It is so much harder to send a metal automaton to the past, when the only entertaining things that were from that era were mere song birds and conscious-less entities in robot form. Of course nothing of your engineering magnitude would be seen for at least a hundred and fifty years later, give or take!"

Zane simply stared at the man, his face incapable of terror just anger. "Zane, I am rerouting all of your auxiliary power to your arms. The power alone should guarantee your escape." The nindroid nodded in response.

The man approached, closing the gap again. "Besides, where you are going, You don't even need a body. I guess that's lucky for me though, I'll have a permanent photo opportunity. One of the ninja immortalised as a photo prop."

He pushed the device into Zane's open panel and pressed the button again. He watched as the nindroid shuddered violently before attaching a device of his own creation to the head of the robot he knew to be called Zane.

It was too late, PIXAL couldn't prevent it, Zane was completely unresponsive. The magnetic device around his head was blocking her input, distorting her signals and CPU commands.

"A little electro-magnetic stimulation always works wonders, not particularly good for anything with a motherboard, chipsets, intricate Pentium neural drives, DID's or RAM. Harmful for those backup drives and any optimized interfaces too, so I hear."

Zane was wheeled through to the curtained off area. He was standing upright on a parcel trolley, dragging chains behind him as he moved. He was placed directly of a glass tube, the same blood was in there too. Only small amounts of it though, in one area.

"I know you are thinking it, yet you're unable to speak, and for good reason too! But I won't tell you, why would I make it easy? Besides you'll find out soon enough."

"All these characters are so inspiring, don't you think? True legends, as of course were the authors, forever held in history, in high esteem. But what of the enemies of the legend?"

"The legends and of course, the enemies of those protagonists. The infamous yet all important antagonist." The old man quickly lifted the lever, he placed the instant photo he had taken of Zane.

The picture, as you would expect, looked remarkable. It looked like the front cover of the actual book. Zane's bandaged appearance was uncanny, of course anyone could have emulated that look, given the time and patience to bandage intricately.

He twisted the dial slowly, "You all have them, that weakness."

Zane thrashed in his shackles, he felt weakness. His energy was slowly depleting. PIXAL had somehow been affected by the magnetic head piece stuck in place around his temples, blocking direct input from where PIXAL's drive was located.

"What I mean is that you all have enemies. The only weakness, the only flaw and one you will all have a chance to figure out." He said before connecting Zane's consciousness to the machine that had previously been used on Cole and Jay.

"And here is the best part…..even the villains have an enemy. There's always someone to take you down. The monster finally kills the creator, although the drugs and mental state certainly help. The aggrieved vain young man ends his own life, in a fit of rage he cuts his own picture. But spoilers, I digress, you'll all find out soon enough."

He didn't smile but turned the dial up quickly, this time however Zane's body did not vanish. The shell that was once Zane remained. His body wasn't needed, just his consciousness, after all he was dressed as the invisible man.

* * *

Zane stood up rapidly, he was in a sitting room. It all looked so familiar, brown leather studded furniture with curved mahogany furniture. Bare wooden floors with a large oriental rug laid in front of an inglenook fireplace.

He walked to the window, outside was a snowstorm unlike any he had ever encountered before. He quickly fumbled in his housecoat as the item of clothing lay draped across a chair. He slowly pulled out a sepia styled photograph.

Looking at it in confusion, the photo was dog eared and creased in areas, he couldn't remember exactly when it had been taken, but pocketed it again in case he remembered in the mean-time.

He walked back to his warm armchair and sat, the morning paper had been left on his table by the owners of the inn. The headline was an article that made him frown.

"Why do they shame good creators like this? His reputation must have been awfully tarnished." He whispered and stared at the picture of the desperate man who had a straight jacket on and a maddening stare at the photographer who had dared to take his photograph.

Regardless he opened it to the page in question and continued to read about the news article in great depth. The man in question was sitting in all his nakedness, the newspaper held up in front of him. The scene was surreal, to any passers-by, it would have looked like a ghost was holding the paper up and flicking through the broadsheets, yet the reality was that it was in fact, the invisible man.

Of course no one would be desperate enough to walk about in this weather, let alone travel by horse and carriage. The roaring fire would keep anyone inside at this time of year.

A knock at his door broke him from his concentration. He stood and made his way to the large front door of his temporary accommodation. He was staying there due to being chased away by villagers in his old town, they had deemed him as odd and noted his behaviour as strange. So now the place he was holed up was called 'Iping Inn and rest stop', so named because that was exactly what it was and where he was.

"Griffin, is it Mr Griffin?" The young black haired male asked, he was looking down at the floor where he assumed the man's feet were rooted to the spot. He couldn't actually see the person who stood behind the door.

"Depends on who is enquiring!" Came the bodiless voice.

 _'I do much favour Zane for some reason.'_

He stood precariously under the storm porch, the whole thing was covered in a foot of snow which threatened to fall off at any given moment. None more so than if the person inside slammed the door shut. "I mean you no ill will, I am here to…..talk."

"Who are you?" The voice questioned, threateningly. He looked at the young man who had a swathe of black hair under his rather expensive looking top hat. His entire outer clothes were covered in a thick sheet of snow.

The young man removed his hat, reluctantly. It was after all providing a level of warmth, along with that of his suit, coat and scarf. His manned carriage stood nearby, that alone was as black as his clothes were, even the horses were black. The horseman however, was almost white, typically covered in snow from the current swirling mass that was a snowstorm.

"My name is Dorian Gray, at your service. My apologies." He bowed slightly and grinned, a lopsided toothy grin. "I am here to offer you a place of solitude and shelter, one where you will be safe."

The man considered this for a few seconds. "I am listening, please continue."

The younger man shivered, "Maybe you could invite me across the threshold! It is after all cold out here, blowing a gale, most terrible weather."

"Blowing a gale? A blizzard is more appropriate is it not?"

"Please Griffin, may I pass?" The young man shivered again.

"Of course, where are my manners?" The bodiless voice answered and opened the door apprehensively. "Please come in."

* * *

The door opened fully and he stood to the side to let his guest enter. The man known as Dorian Gray entered the small inn and walked into the front room. There was no-one else here, likely everyone was at home celebrating the season of perpetual goodwill.

Dorian, it would seem, exuded pure charisma from the outset. The young man who had rid himself of his snow covered outer garments was standing up near the fireplace, looking every bit the eligible bachelor as he rested his forearm on the mantelpiece.

Yet Griffin noted that he wore no wedding band, warranting an idea that this was a man who wasn't necessarily interested in wooing females for marriage purposes. He had watched as the young man placed his cane down, and his top hat. His outercoat and leather gloves were placed carefully on the hat and coat stand before he had entered the sitting room.

Griffin had seen the labels, a sense of jealousy. They were all top known tailors and dressmakers in London, a far cry from these parts in West Sussex. A half day of travelling if he had to guess correctly, even more so in this weather.

Dorian waited until his friend was seated before talking. The sound of creaking leather and groaning wood made Dorian know that he was sitting.

"I have been waiting for years to meet you in person." He finally said rubbing his hands in front of the fire.

"Really? I am popular I guess. I cannot help it, it seems to happen where ever I go, alas it is not always positive though." The voice said, purposefully missing out the parts where he was betrayed.

"You are not safe here _Griffin_ , And I know this probably sounds really quite bizarre but, I believe you would be better coming with me." Somehow Dorian hated using the name Griffin, it didn't sound right.

The invisible man grew irritated but stood at the sound of commotion coming from nearby. Dorian, similarly walked to the singular panel glass fronted window. They both peered outside, perplexed and surprised to see a mob of people. They were beginning to converge nearby, even in the blizzard weather. "That, my friend, is our cue to leave." Dorian noted and grabbed his clothes quickly.

"I-I, how can I be sure that I can trust you? We have only just met!"

Dorian flicked his long black hair from his face. "Well, you can trust me or you can see what _they_ have planned for you." He pulled his black gloves back on. "Somehow and personally, I think my option sounds more fun!" He replied quickly and flipped his hat onto his head effortlessly.

"Look, I'll provide you with everything you need and I will endeavour to tell you everything I know on the way, but you need to choose. I cannot force you, however it would be in your best interests."

The mob got closer still, although it appeared that they were struggling to overcome the fat billows of snow accumulating. The snow in this form, looked like white waves in a tempest, precarious to any who wandered into it unknowingly. Not just that, but the fact that there were lakes and rivers nearby, some frozen over. The potential for a cold painful drowning wasn't far away at this time of year.

"Your answer?" Dorian grew anxious. He looked to his carriage and signalled to his horsemen of his impending arrival. He knew his horses were fast but in this weather they would struggle to overcome the depth of snow that was beginning to pile up. He scooped up the newspaper and angrily threw it into the fire, knowing who the man on the front page was.

 _'Sorry Jay, you'll be safer in the asylum for a few more months at least.'_

His carriage wasn't laden with any undue heavy weight. Furthermore, it was the best carriage money could buy in this day and age. Both lightweight and robust and his personal preference, it was as black as a hearse to avoid any nosy Parkers.

The invisible man took one more look at the mob and decided then and there to take the tall dark and handsome, strangers offer. "I accept." He said and followed eagerly out of the ramshackle inn and into the sturdy yet sleek black carriage.

"You won't be disappointed." He said with a cheeky grin.

* * *

 **Written in less than a day, boom!**

 **for Master of Cupcakes.**

 **Mind you I have written 550k in fiction in less than eight months.**

 **For those of you who might be confused,Dorian Gray doesn't age, as long as his picture remains safe he's immortal. He's found 2 brothers so far because, well if I you anymore, it'll be a spoiler.**

 **Griffin is the name of the invisible man in the books.**

 **He didn't tell Jay that he had read the books extensively & it sort of helps that he's loaded.**


	5. Blowing hot and cold

Again the old wizard cleaned up his studio as best he could. This time he remembered to clean the small trace of blood from the man sized glass tube and the smear from the floor. He turned his head back to the now lifeless nindroid. He was still shackled, standing stock still on a parcel trolley.

The old man opened the back door, it wasn't an exit as such, more a store room. A vast room full of dusty cardboard boxes and tall imposing statues from other props, he had no doubt inherited from his predecessor. He was also in this room too, well, his skeleton was!

He wheeled Zane's body to a set of locked cabinets and retrieved his own set of keys before fumbling for the right one. He remained as quiet as he could before opening the locker and stowing the robot's body in there for safe keeping. He was only disturbed by his assistant, the one who had helped set up the machine.

The young brown haired man draped a cover over the lockers, "How many are left now? We haven't got all night. There's literally only a couple of hours left!" He whispered, his voice seemed panicked.

The old man, simply smiled at this. "Three left, and we have plenty of time. Maybe this would go a lot quicker if you actually helped me with them once they have passed out." He suggested.

The brown haired man looked annoyed, momentarily. "I think I've helped enough already. I helped you with all this equipment, setting it all up. Researching the properties of quantum time displacement and everything required for that, the blue prints, the theories of time travel." He sighed, rubbing his dusty hands through his hair. "Look, just tell me who's left now?"

"Lloyd, and the siblings. And, for what it's worth, I do appreciate what you've done. I was merely mentioning some assistance would be required in hauling them into the tube." He shrugged his shoulders, motioning his partner in crime out of the room.

The cabinet was locked then the room too, He turned around to walk back into the main party room. He still had three more to get rid of, the only problem was time. Being talkative in the case of Jay and Zane had taken far too long. He still had noxious gas to use if the opportunity arose and then of course there was still the good old fashioned blow to the back of the head if all else failed.

The brown haired man followed willingly. "What if this fails? What if they find a way back?" He queried. He was genuinely concerned, mostly about the repercussions of what they were actually doing.

The old man considered this, having already thought of the possible implications. "They won't!"

"You're sure about that?"

The old man nodded, "Positive, how are they going to find a way back? They'll simply lack the tools required. They are just ninja, after all, nothing remotely special…."

A sigh could be heard coming from behind him. He turned to look at his partner, "What?"

"That may be the case, but…you might have overlooked the characters profiling. You've just sent two of the greatest creators slash inventors slash scientists to England. All they'd have to do is find one another and then…."

The old man cut him off, "Lex, you think I haven't already thought of that? Well I have! The master of lightning will be _far_ too busy to remember anything pertaining to his life here, his _monster_ will keep him busy. His comrades however, Cole and Zane, they will likely remember."

"Ha, but then how do you explain to an already mad scientist that his so called friends are from the future. He'll disown them so fast and have them locked away."

The brown haired man simply shook his head and walked away waiting to be summoned again. "If you're sure, personally Lionel, I don't think you've thought it through that well." He mumbled and walked off.

* * *

Back in the party area, his eyes scanned the large room. So many of the guests had already had their photos taken, most had chosen action or romance scenes but in their drunken stupor's they hadn't been focused and as such, the photographs were simply tasteless in style. Apparently money doesn't always buy style and class and neither does birthrite.

The one who called himself the brown ninja had chosen the stately home backdrop and he had managed to persuade Gayle to pose with him. Their photo had worked exceptionally well, they were almost made for each other. Yet as soon as the photo opportunity was done she walked off leaving him to pine after her.

Then he spotted a young blonde haired man, who was playing on the charity casino, and his made his move.

"Excuse me, good sir. Would you be interested in having your photo taken in the period that this grand party is celebrating?" He asked and slipped a business card into his hand.

"How much will it cost, it's just, I've just spent a considerable amount on the charity roulette." He smiled and fist pumped when his number came up again. He took a cautious look at the card in his hand, "Unique photos huh?"

The old man smiled, but his gray beard and moustache obscured it. "It is free, a memorable keepsake gift from your night here."

Lloyd looked around, seeing Nya and Kai sitting around the large round table, Cole, Jay and Zane were nowhere to be found. "I-I don't know, never been a huge fan of candid photo's."

"It'll be fun, besides the props will make your character stand out even more, it'll look like you were the character you attempt to impersonate."

Lloyd nodded his head, shrugged his shoulders and followed the old man, walking into a large back room. The door was largely obscured by a huge black cloth. In fact the whole room had swathes of black cloth, covering the rafters, walls and ceiling. The effect was a night sky, dotted with thousands of twinkling fairy lights, no expense had been spared!

Lloyd brushed passed Darreth, their old personal manager. The brown ninja had dressed up as Mr Darcy and was still attempting to woo Gayle Gossip, the news anchor woman. She was still rebuffing his advances, even in her costume which was the perfect accompaniment to his. She was dressed as her favourite period drama, she was dressed as Elizabeth Bennett, the love interest of one Mr Darcy.

Lloyd shook his head, his gaze drawn to the floor to avoid eye contact from Darreth, who he knew would come out with a cheesy line at any given moment, ruining his chances of ever getting a date.

* * *

All Lloyd did was follow the old man into the room, and once inside he paused., A feeling of dread came over him. "I'm not a huge fan of photo's. I hated school photos above all others."

The old man closed the door securely behind them. "Hmm, any reason for that dislike?"

"What was the point of school photo's? It seemed that everyone who had them taken, also had parents who would buy them once developed." He sighed and leaned on the wall.

"And you didn't?" He asked, his voice soft and coaxing.

Lloyd shook his head. "No, never!" he answered and walked over to each scene.

"You've really gone to extremes to get that perfect picture huh? Has this all been provided by the Ninjago city government? Bit extravagant isn't it?"

"Extremes, not quite!" The old man chuckled. "The majority of props have been supplied by the museum and yes I believe you are right, it is incredibly extravagant, but this is how the other half live."

Lloyd was starting to grow bored, "Look, this is great and all, but I really need to get back to the party and my brothers. We still have a job to do in the morning, the majority of people here can just roll over and go back to sleep."

The old man motioned him closer. "Then take your place, over there." He pointed to the high oil lamp and dark murky street scene.

"Here?" Lloyd queried. The old man nodded in response and got behind his camera.

"Do you know much of your character? His personal preferences? Morals?" The old man questioned.

"Err, you mean other than him being one person with a split personality? Blows hot and cold?"

"Haha, sort of. He was so much more than that!" He walked across to his table and selected some gruesome looking tools, before passing an axe to the blonde haired man. He quickly lit the oil lamp, near to Lloyd and let the fumes float down.

"It will not take long, but it will make for a great picture, it doesn't come out in colour either, it's old style, a relic!" He mumbled and got back under the cover of his camera.

He snapped the camera in quick succession and lit the flash light, the crackles again made Lloyd's street sign light up. "Grasp the axe, like you are hacking at something, maybe a wild animal that you intend to eat." The old man suggested.

Lloyd obliged and his face sneered in disgust, the axe raised high, his mouth contorting into a sick grimace. "Like this?" He said through clenched teeth, holding his face in that same look of horrified glee.

"Perfect, it really makes him stand out from the crowd, don't you agree?" The old man chuckled from under the camera cloak.

The blonde was visibly tiring as more photos were being taken. The fumes from the oil lamp, were slowly working their way into his system, clouding his thoughts and fight for survival. Somehow, all he wanted to do was sleep, like his bed was calling to him.

Lloyd shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts, "Urgh, I-I don't feel so good!"

"Just stay in that pose, a few more photos is…..all…..we…need!" The last word was accentuated by a thud.

The old man, placed a mask over his face and walked to the gas lamp, extinguishing it. He flicked a further switch and the air conditioning unit powered up riding the air of toxic gas.

"Sometimes I wish I had asked for infinite strength or the ability to levitate." He grumbled yet again and hauled Lloyd's sleepy body into a huge glass tube.

This time he didn't even bother to wake him up, he just powered the device, lifted the lever right up and twisted the dial slowly until the electricity crackled above the tube. The copper coils holding the charge until he was ready to turn it all the way.

"You will likely need this too." The wizard said quietly. He gently placed a singular sepia photograph of Lloyd looking guilty whilst hovering over a dead body, the bloodied axe still in his hand.

Finally, he placed the top hat back on to the blonde haired man, and replaced the smudged line of his face paint. "It won't work, unless everything is as it should be. Everything needs to be, perfect." He muttered and twisted the dial fully, as the sleeping man disappeared from view. The glass case, again stood empty, ready and waiting for a new occupant.

* * *

Lloyd got up from the damp wet floor, having received a harsh blow to his ribs. The axe he held was swung wildly at his as yet, unknown attacker. He typically missed thanks to the dark night and lack of decent lighting. He suddenly grasped his head as white hot pain attacked his senses.

His mind, at that moment, was heavily conflicted as to what was right and what was wrong. "Bitch, you'll regret that." He snarled and stood back up. A deft swipe of his axe and the attacker was no more. Of course, it just had to be a female didn't it?

His gloved hands rifled through her pockets. He knew, judging by her appearance that she was no one of any great importance. She was however, a lady of the night and one of ill repute.

He found what he was looking for, his cherished golden fob watch. She'd stolen it mere moments ago. He took the time to open it to check for any damage, the interior and glass front revealed no damage just his reflection. The face paint all gone, the metaphor for that was now in his head. His split personality was now a part of him. "Still working at least!" He took another glimpse at himself, and brushed the only visible part of his blonde hair out of his face and into his top hat, with his free hand, the other hand was holding the watch until he pocketed it securely.

In the darkness of the alley way, he placed a silver coin on either eye as was the done thing. His other side wouldn't have been so forgiving, technically his other side had just killed her. This was now his calm and respectful side that was thinking.

"All you had to do was ask and I'm sure I could have found it in my heart to give you some coins, but now look at you, pathetic! Well I can tell you one thing, you giving up on life means you've just given up your body to research." A maniacal laugh escaped his lips as he cut off a digit. He wrapped it in muslin cloth and kept it for himself, a keepsake.

"I do know someone who could use the parts though!" His evil side came back. Out of his coat he pulled a burlap sack, and he proceeded to load the female into it. Taking care to remove his silver florins from the floor.

"Waste not want not!" He mumbled into the night.

* * *

He hauled her body from the floor and dragged the sack to his unmanned carriage. It was the dead of night, no-one was around except for the people who lived on the streets. None of them wanted to be seen as being awake, so none attempted to stop him.

And within a few minutes he was gone. He had left the dingy and dark side streets of East London and passed across the Thames, by horse and carriage. His destination was the north western parts, the 'well to do' area of Knightsbridge where his good friend lived.

His horse and carriage pulled up next to the park that bore the same surname as his evil natured alter ego. Hyde Park and next to that on the opposing side was a tall black bricked building with a single solitary light. The rest of the ground floor transoms had been boarded up, broken glass seemed to be strewn here and there. Glittering like fallen stars on the slabbed pavement as the moon reflected on each jagged piece.

Lloyd as Mr Hyde got down from his carriage and walked up the few steps. He paused at the door and then rapped on the door with his cane.

A few minutes later a timid voice could be heard, "Who is it?"

Lloyd shuffled closer to the door, "The grim reaper, the sand man, your worst enemy if you don't let me in!"

And with that the door was opened to reveal a slightly beaten and bruised Igor. "Come in." Came a mildly shaken voice.

"Where is Victor?" Mr Hyde grabbed the burlap sack from his carriage and lifted it carefully trying not to drag it across the steps. "I've brought him some more supplies." He cackled malevolently.

Igor, avoided answering the question and directed Victor's friend down to the basement where the large freezer was located.

"Where is he, Igor?" Dr Jekyll finally asked, his tone more soothing and calm. "Whoa, Déjà vu." He rubbed his head, seeing a swathe of green in his visions and a head of pure blonde hair. He shook his head again.

' _Lloyd, you will remember and share all of their experiences and memories, they will be your own….Lloyd, that's my real name anyway!'_

A low grunt snapped him from his thoughts, "He is otherwise, unavailable for the time being." Igor replied but avoided eye contact.

Lloyd in his now authentic Jekyll and Hyde suit, looked up at the destruction he could see. Igor was still busy tidying up, multi-tasking to clean up the place. "So, what happened here? Another creation gone awry?"

Igor piped up, with more confidence. "You could say that, more like an old creation that showed up a few nights ago. Victor is convalescing in a hospital of sorts."

Lloyd frowned, "Was it serious? I don't recall seeing his name on my patient lists."

Igor shook his head, his hunchback making it difficult to stand up straight. Communicating like this was quite demeaning for him, but he seemed used to it. Plus it was better than being at the circus and being laughed at.

"No it wasn't serious, his creation was a little heavy handed. Victor sustained a head injury and it sent him into a state of hysteria. He seemed unstable and as such his own physician deemed him a danger to himself."

"So where is he now?"

"Bethlem Hospital for the psychiatrically insane."

Lloyd laughed, "We don't call it that, those in the trade call it 'Bedlam'. Not to worry he won't be in there for long if I can help it."

Igor looked confused, but carried on clearing the broken glass from the floor. "Why, what is so wrong with Bethlem? It seemed perfectly plausible for the treatment of psychiatric issues!"

Lloyd shook his head at Igor's naivety. "Let's just say that most who go there don't ever come out. It is named well, Bedlam means confusion and uproar. Victor does nary belong there, he is not insane."

"That man, is an exceptional genius of remarkable talent. He does not belong in shackles or stout bars, nor a straitjacket, his monster however!" He hauled the burlap sack into the freezer, the body fell out easily. He quickly straightened the limbs to avoid the muscles from being overly hard to manipulate once rigor mortis had set in. Igor quickly closed the door once they had both exited the cold storage room.

Dr Jekyll straightened up and removed his bloodied gloves. He cast them into the nearby furnace, but only to remove any evidence. "Maybe he should be afforded with the branks!"

Igor stared wide eyed at the suggestion, although Dr Jekyll couldn't see his face. "Sir? That form of torture has been banned for years, it is obscene to use it nowadays."

Mr Hyde's head flicked to the side, his now evil green eyes had narrowed at the questioning tone. "Really? So Victor likes being beaten to a pulp does he? I say we teach the brute a lesson in humility and I for one know where I can get a perfectly good set of branks from."

"Mr Hyde, sir, A head cage?" Igor queried.

Lloyd recomposed himself, "Igor, just call me Lloyd. Look they still use them at Bedlam, but only on the most insane."

Igor smirked but then frowned. "Victor wouldn't allow it sir, the monster is his first successful creation."

"Codswallop, this brute keeps trying to end his life." Lloyd rubbed his temples in a desperate attempt to keep his rather obnoxious egotistical side from entering the argument. "I digress Igor, he was a successful creation, forsooth. Alas he has outstayed his welcome has he not? And what does he want now?"

Igor sighed, "He wants a bride."

The young blonde haired man recoiled in shock. "So that is why Victor wants all of these parts! He is doing his bidding even though the brute has beaten him senseless!"

"Is he sleeping well, had any odd dreams recently. Remembering certain events?"

Igor shook his head, "He doesn't sleep, he's been awake for days on end, working through the night mostly. Dorian came to see him but Victor, sorry, I mean Jay, does nary remember him at all!"

"You mustn't tell him Igor, his sanity depends on it. If he ever knew, well I'd hate to think on it!"

"Igor, for tonight I bid you a fond farewell. Don't worry Victor will be out of Bedlam before dusk tomorrow."

* * *

Bethlem was actually nicknamed Bedlam

Branks is simply a cage for the head! Synonymous with horror movies involving psych wards or patients with a severe mental illness.


	6. Chapter 6

"Well, you're definitely helping me with the next two, this is just impossible. My back is hurting from all this heavy lifting."

The younger brown haired man readjusted his own hair piece, "Lionel, I did mention a hoist, but you shunned it….remember?"

The old man didn't reply, he attempted to reattach his beard and moustache with little success. The stickiness was starting to wear off due to his sweaty face, the reason was, having to haul another body into his transportation device. "I don't need a hoist, just assistance." He dabbed at his face with a towel and took a refreshing drink of water.

"Lex, we have one hour left, and we still have a fair amount of booked party guests that require their photo opps. And finally we still have the siblings to deal with, perhaps you can get them round to the idea of having a dual photo!"

"I guess I can try and persuade them, I'm sure we've got something that'll likely get their attention."

The older man smirked. "You realise the green one hated school photos? Well his reluctance reminded me of that same thing, school photo's. Those very same ones, taken with a sibling. We'll get two for one, both at the same time!"

"What are you suggesting, are you wanting me to go out there and do some promo work?"

The old man nodded at him. Use a prop if you must but time is of the essence here, they're sitting at table 21."

"What will you use to subdue?"

The old man picked up a cudgel, "Swift and quick! I swear it would have been quicker had I bought a voice recorder. I 've had to repeat myself so many times tonight and it's irksome, I am irked at having to repeat myself, it's irking me."

The younger brown haired man laughed. "You could have just used your phone, it has a voice recorder too."

The older man looked down at his phone in disgust. "I did not know that! Now hurry."

* * *

The younger man had changed into a serpentine costume, his look was completed with a bowtie and rattle snake head. The Joke shop nearby had managed to sell most of the serpentine items for a much reduced price, owing to a need to replenish their shelves of new stock.

 _Apparently the serpentine outfits weren't as popular as they had hoped, and they had bought the entire range, Constrictai, Venomari, Fangpyre, Hypnobrai and Anacondrai, the only ones that hadn't sold at all was the miniature version of the devourer._

 _The owner of said shop had reluctantly put them all in the bargain basket, dolefully reducing the price to mere single digit currency. And Even then the damned outfits still hadn't sold, until a young man called Lex came along, he bought one of each and a faux staff._

* * *

Dorian was sat in his carriage, staring out the window as the horses attempted to pull them to safety from the villagers who had tried to chase them out of town.

The seat in front of him was depressed, typically where the body of his otherwise invisible brother was seated. "How much do you remember?" Dorian asked inquisitively.

"Excuse me?" Came a bodyless voice.

Dorian removed his hat, his gloves remained in place. "It's me, Cole!" He said with a worried smile.

"Look I hate all the pretentious stuff, the archaic language is really tiring me out but it's all ingrained into us, as that psycho wizard said it would be. Look, Zane, I know it's you."

Zane shifted in his seat, still unseen, complete silence ensued for what felt like an eternity. All that could be heard was the sound of the suspension creaking under the carriage as the wheels continued to trudge through the snow laden tracks.

A sigh could be heard and then he spoke, "I believe, we were set up by an as yet, unknown mastermind."

"I too remember, I remember the party. Getting ready beforehand, talking in great detail about who wore the best outfit or who wore it better and then I remember the photographer and then waking up sitting in a chair about twenty minutes ago."

Cole took a deep breath in, relief flooded over him. "I never told you this, but I kinda did a lot of reading when I was younger. Lou left all these books laying around and I was never really into dancing so I kind of read." He paused and frowned.

"I kinda knew your story from the outset, time was of the essence. Or so the story would have you believe."

"It is odd, being in an actual physical body as opposed to my own, where ever that is. But I miss my instant access to certain key events. I am sorry but you will have to remind me of what happens. This mind as it is, is full of very interesting information pertaining to optics and molecular activity, becoming invisible and finding an antidote but nothing as to anything else."

Cole closed the blinds on each window and lit the small gas lights inside, to warm it up. "Are you warm enough, you know now that you've got an actual body you're going to feel the cold!"

"Zane I can't see you, you either need to say yes or no!"

"S-sorry, I am rather cold." Cole passed a large woollen blanket and watched as more of Zane's profile could be seen.

He had wrapped the large blanket around his entire body, draped over his head, around his shoulders and under his buttocks. The effect looked horrible, like a poltergeist or an entity, but in all facts it was Zane.

"Comfier?" Zane nodded and Cole could just make it out by the movement of the blanket.

"Then I'll begin. Your character's name is Griffin and er, after you turned yourself into what you are now, you were chased away before you had a chance to rectify it. The book I read, said that you stayed in that inn until the villagers cast you out and from then on, you became what they thought you were all the time. They thought you were a monster and that was what you became, the way they treated you made you snap. You left during a snowstorm, the same one as this!"

"You left the inn, to kill the first of many. Turning yourself into the monster that they despised until it spiralled out of control."

"Then, it would seem that I owe you a debt of gratitude Cole. I am sure this information will come back to me, I did extensive reading back with my father, his favourite stories Jules Verne, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker, yet I cannot recall any of them. Maybe I need to rest, a good recharge of my batteries is all that is required."

"Yeah, you can't use that language here. Try using some of that stored stuff, at least when we're out and about. And especially when we get back to my manor house!"

Cole noticed that his brother had turned oddly silent. "I-I am leaking from my eyes! Wh-what is happening to me?" He scooted across to his brother.

"How are you feeling at this exact moment?

My feelings are…..sad and unsure, scared, uncertain and fearful." Zane sobbed quietly.

Cole reached into his suit and pulled a silk handkerchief. "I'm sorry Zane, it's called sadness. Completely normal to feel this way considering! My first feelings were anger and then well, anger."

"Seriously I had been travelling for a few hours before I got here, not sure how time works here, but I know that the party we were at was still in full swing, Jay came through after me, then you. Just leaves Lloyd, Nya and Kai." Cole cringed.

"How is Jay?"

"Unreachable, you saw that article in the paper right? That was him! Apparently, I went by his place a few days ago and met Igor is it? Anyway Victor was on the floor, a bad turn apparently, he didn't recognise me….at all."

"And now he's in Bethlem hospital, in west London. We, however are on enroute to my house, to get you some clothes, a hot meal and a proper roof over your head. Then we can try and sort out this sorry mess!"

"And the others, are they?" Zane queried sadly, his sniffs were all that could be heard.

Cole bit his lip, at Zane's newfound emotional state, "We need to regroup, urgently! We need to find Lloyd and then we wait for Kai and Nya."


	7. Bark at the moon

"Whoa since when have serpentine been part of the 19th century?" Kai queried with a puzzled face. He shot Nya a cheeky grin, it was enough to give her a fleeting appearance of his salt white fangs.

She shrugged in response, "They've been around just as long, they lived underground didn't they?"

Typically, and for the umpteenth time that night, he caught one of his fangs on his inner lip and winced, but not before motioning Nya's attention to the serpentine who was steadily approaching.

His sister, Nya, was sitting next to him. She was restless and occasionally staring up to check on the time; being as she wasn't wearing a watch, only her Samurai X bracelet.

Her dress didn't give her the opportunity to slouch like Kai was, she was mildly jealous of the fact that he was leaning back on his chair with his feet raised onto the seat of another whilst she was more erect than a tent pole, thanks largely to the boned corset.

' _Where's Cole got to? He should have been back now.'_

"Kai have you seen Cole recently?" She asked without so much as looking at her brother. She just stared at the same snake they were both transfixed on.

Kai twisted his neck slightly to look in Nya's direction. He could still see the Serpentine from the corner of his eyes. It was obviously making its way over to their location. "No, why the sudden interest? You still have feelings for him don't you?"

She nodded imperceptibly and blushed without saying anything.

He shook his head and played with his fangs. "He's probably at the buffet station, where the chocolate fountains are."

' _Although god knows why you strung Jay along to be a part of these games. Setting him up to fail again.'_

He sighed to himself, and played with the one troublesome fang, which felt more like a snaggle tooth. "Gahh I'm going to have difficulty getting these off later, reckon that dental putty was out of date." He tried to wiggle the fake canine free with no luck.

"Mine come out with a little manipulation, just a gentle twist is what it said on the packaging." She helpfully supplied.

' _Manipulation, yeah you got that right.'_

Not that Kai wasn't enjoying his sister's company, he was expecting to have seen his brothers returning from their prolonged absence.

At the present time it felt like he had all but been abandoned by them. Maybe they had all had better offers or had called it a night. But they wouldn't have just left without saying anything, that wasn't how they did things anymore. Well except for Jay, but he often had a reason to do that and he hadn't done it _that_ much.

He turned slowly from his sisters' eyes, and saw a haunting version of a familiar face from his recent past. Someone who bore a striking resemblance to Skales. The eyes were different though, they looked like holographic foil that reflected the twinkling fairy lights up above. Kai as usual stiffened up, he tensed just in case of conflict and his posture became defensive in front of Nya.

He was half expecting a retort to come from the snake but it said nothing, its face didn't even move. Upon closer inspection as soon as the snake had inserted a business card into Kai's hand he noted the snakes tongue draped out of his mouth lazily. He mentally face palmed at the fact he had been spooked by a person dressing up as a previous adversary.

The serpentine creature, having finally made it to their table, left a card in Kai's hand. His intentions made clear, he was offering the opportunity to have photos. The big selling part, or the 'closer' was the fact that these were free and were included as part of the celebrations.

"We're offering free photosss to all guestsss tonight, courtesy of Ninjago city hall, the Museum of natural history and the people of this city who have funded thiss evening."

"Really, snakes and serpentine at this event too?" He looked at the costume suspiciously.

A muffled voice was heard from within. "It's a prop, joust for promotional purposes…." Came a bitter retort. Likely signifying his annoyance at having to dress up in an attempt to raise interest.

' _Yeah I know, I was being sarcastic!'_

Kai wasn't so sure about this, it wasn't part of the plans as such. It was supposed to be a quick party, in and out. Collect some grand award as Darreth had rumoured they had been promised and then they could make their way back.

But now the night was drawing to an end, with no sign of his brothers, he hadn't seen Cole for hours. All he could see, was a hefty amount of party goers who were still mingling with A-Z list celebrities.

He thought it likely that maybe they had gotten lost in all the partying that was going on. Maybe they'd been invited to take part in a celebrity selfie. His mood turned sour again at where his invite was. He was the life and soul of the party, he oozed charisma and he had a loyal fan base, both on his twitter feed and Facebook too.

"Kai, can we?" Her overly enthusiastic voice cut through his thoughts like a knife through butter.

He was still subconsciously staring across the chequered dancefloor, noticing in his tired inebriated haze, that far too many people were dancing. He couldn't even make out one single person that he recognised from the events of the night so far. Even the ones that he had been personally introduced to. From his vantage point, they all looked like they were squashed together.

Some weren't even dancing, they were swaying on the black and white floor, maybe slow dancing but to the wrong music. Alcohol was mostly to blame for the behaviour that he could see and he was glad in a sense that he wasn't dancing right at that minute.

' _Those guys are mad, and here's me thinking that Cole and Jay weren't fond of dancing, yeah right!'_

Kai could've sworn he saw a swathe of black and auburn hair in the mix, maybe even a titanium hair piece, unless his eyes were deceiving him. He rubbed them and looked back at his sister, her sickly sweet smile, complete with fangs was trying to win him over.

"Really? Didn't we already have one before we left?"

"Come on Kai, this is different. It has props and the correct lighting. It'll be an experience, something we'll never forget, we'll always have the photo to remind us….please!"

Kai was still thinking about it, and then his sister and her desperate attempts to get him to see the fun in this opportunity. He looked at her again, his tough exterior cracking a little.

Nya, seemed to be exuding excitement at the prospect of having her outfit immortalised in a photo. She had only rented her outfit she'd have to give it back in a few days. "Oh come on Kai please, it'll be like being back at school, except with better clothes and backgrounds." She playfully prodded him.

"It's free right?" Kai sighed, his shoulders slumped dejectedly. "Nya, just quickly write a note to Cole to tell him and the others where we are. Guessing they can't be too far away, they wouldn't just leave us!"

Nya quickly penned a note on a napkin, that simply read; _**Gone to have photos done, will be back shortly, love Nya x**_

' _I better not regret this, this could be so humiliating.'_

Kai was still standing and as the gentleman he was dressed as; he helped Nya to stand. She was still looking amazing in her heavily corseted scarlet gown that was complete with bustle and an enticing low revealing back, it was no small wonder that Jay had been gawking at her all night

* * *

Her _long_ brown haired wig had been ornately designed into a headful of ringlets. Most of these tight curls trailed effortlessly down her back. The ringlets atop her head were held in place with a tiny but highly decorated black top hat with a red feather. Her fake teeth, like Kai's, were stuck to her own canines to make them look more realistic.

The only downside to having fangs, was the difficulty eating with a fork or drinking anything. Both siblings had needed to ask for a straw when ordering drinks, much to Cole's amusement.

Nya had actually started eating like a Victorian woman, she ate small morsels because the fork wouldn't fit in her mouth and then she couldn't chew it properly.

It was certainly an experience, but then they both looked exceptional in their attire. They had even had photo requests from Z list celebrities, and overzealous paparazzi who had shown up at the event.

There was even a best dressed competition.

 _Sadly_ Darreth and Gayle Gossip had won that one for being 'best dressed'. It was a sad event as Darreth had then tried to kiss Gayle. A certain amount of goading from the photographers had stoked the fires of love and both looked a little embarrassed at the impromptu and rather awkward smooch that ensued. Darreth, as usual, shrugged it off and put his shades back on. Gayle Gossip however, walked from the stage with her prize and didn't look back, the foundation and concealer, hid her embarrassment.

Nya, Cole and Jay had come fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. The consolation prizes were still on their table. Bouquets that didn't actually say anything but yet you knew them to mean; 'thanks for trying, maybe try harder next year!'

* * *

Kai's suit was an almost exact replica of Dracula's, save for the hairy hands and fake sideburns. Those alone made him look more like a wolverine than a hybrid werewolf.

His suit was pure pale gray and his top hat, looked almost silver in-style, like the rest of his suit; it was devoid of any colour except for differing shades of gray. If it was a 'recent literature event' he could have swung it in his favour and simply said he was 'Christian Gray.' But then that was all he knew, he wasn't about to sit and read erotic literature, he was too busy for that crap and besides, he preferred the occasional game on the console or pizza party with the guys, than reading in depth novels.

His waist coat had six tiny silver buttons, fiddly too. Almost as fiddly as the cravat which Zane had to help with. The final part to his cravat and the part that kept it all together was a tiny but dangerous tie pin. Kai was sure that it was supposed to be meant as a weapon of sorts. One obviously for bloodletting, considering his outfit belonged to a creature of the night. He had finished his overall look with a pure black cane and knee high black boots.

"You'll need all parts of your costume to make the _photo_ work for you." The man mumbled under the heavy costume.

Kai looked down at his attire, happy that he had avoided spilling anything on himself all night.

As directed, he quickly reached across to grab his hat and cane.

"Come on then, let's get this over with!" Kai reluctantly started walking, he was following the fake serpentine with Nya hot on his heels.

She seemed to be happy at the fact that she was now up and out of her seat and about to do something far more enjoyable. She couldn't even dance in her outfit being that she lacked the lung capacity, the corset was quite restrictive in that sense.

All Kai could see was the visual fact that every one at the party looked to be enjoying themselves. People were talking and laughing loudly, drinks were flowing and as yet there hadn't even been the slightest hint of trouble.

The mayor was about to make a speech and some party goers were going back to their respective tables to listen. Some however had chosen to stay in the charity casino or in the case of some females; the dessert area. That area was heavily populated because that was where the croquembouche, gateaux and chocolate fountains were, the area where Kai had thought his brother Cole would have been.

They both got to the door and once it had been opened they both stood and stared at all the props in their line of sight. The door was closed behind them without them noticing, they also didn't notice the two men behind them. Both of whom were holding cudgels, ready to strike like the men from 'a clockwork orange' with no cares in the world for the amount of chaos and destruction they were about to cause.

The siblings only had a few seconds to admire the props though because they both received a nasty blow to the back of their heads. Both tumbled to the floor, they were unconscious before they hit the ground.

* * *

This time both men helped to shift Kai into his respective prop. He was hauled onto the ship prow and draped over the bow itself.

The boat, upon closer inspection looked like a ship wreck, so in typical fashion, warm water was placed over him to make him look the part. His suit was cut in areas and torn in others, on purpose so as to make it look like he had struggled before the ship ran aground.

Warm water had been used, they needed him to stay docile. And, because of that, the photo looked near spot on. Kai looked like he had been washed up, on a distant far away shore in the dark of night where a full moon could be seen in the distance.

He looked like a drowned rat washed up in Whitby harbour, like the tales of old. This was how Dracula came to those very shores in his wolf aspect so it seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

His arms had been draped over the prow of the ship, otherwise known as the Demeter, the ship of death. It was well named, as all but one of the original crew had been killed before it had even moored haphazardly in the dark and eerie harbour, having run aground.

The only difference to the tale, was that this 'dog' wasn't leaping off the ship, and the captain wasn't lashed to the steering wheel of said doomed ship. The original wreck had voyaged all the way from Varna in Bulgaria.

* * *

Once his photo had been taken he was hauled by both men and placed in the tube carefully so as not to rip or damage his suit further. His mouth was opened to make sure the fangs were still intact, the hair covered gloves still in place and the final touch….a smear of blood from the scalpel from earlier. It was the only human blood they had available.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Lex queried as he watched his elder rub the blood onto Kai's lips, making sure to get some near his nose.

He nodded in exasperation. "Why must you keep questioning, it is as it should be. Everything needs to be perfect. If I send him back like this then he'll be at the mercy of his lust for blood twice a month or more. He won't be able to focus on anything else….and, neither will the lightning master. Trust me Lex this plan can't fail."

"You've thought of all possible outcomes then? I mean by doing that, you'll make it easier for them to find each other."

"So be it, two less to worry about. Less likelihood of them coming back to bite us on the proverbial as you keep seeming to think they will."

"You're being too blasé about this. I know you've been studying them and their fighting styles but we know little of their bonds, you know….their bonds as brothers? This could all go pear shaped far too quickly. You have to consider how hard we've worked to get this far, it just seems that you're rushing it and not listening to me."

"Well, what would you have me do? I mean if it isn't up to your standard you could always step in and help, considering all you've done tonight is question me." The flustered old man snapped.

The younger man said nothing in response to the vitriol, instead he focused on the girl who lay haphazardly near the door way. He rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly. "We need to make provisions, we need to be prepared for any come backs, and we need to at least have a back-up plan…in case this all fails."

"Fine, fine. A back up plan, an alibi or a believable back story that should keep people off the trail."

Lex looked across the large back room. "What of her?" He pointed at the mass of scarlet taffeta that surrounded the entrance to the door. Hidden somewhere within the sumptuous fabric was a female.

"Just leave her there for the moment, the door's locked anyway. Maybe get another prop, we could use a new one for her." He suggested with a lazy shrug of his shoulders.

* * *

The old man placed the instant photo into Kai's waistcoat pocket next to his fob watch, somehow he hadn't noticed that it had broken, but it was inevitable, Kai had fallen on it and it couldn't be helped.

The lever as before was lifted all the way up, and the dial turned slowly.

"Enjoy your new life Kai, have fun won't you." The old man sneered and twisted the dial to the top setting. He stood back and watched as the master of fire slowly started to vaporise into nothingness as his consciousness and body drifted through time and space.

* * *

A rather tatty looking young man was on his hands and knees, not entirely sure as to why he was in that position. He looked up, he could see the night sky clearly, some of it obscured with cloud cover. "Aooooooow" Came a rather loud and elongated moan from his own lips. He clasped his calloused hands across his face as fast as he could, shocked at just how loud it was.

The smallest amount of moisture escaped his mouth in the cold night air, a feeling of confusion as to his surroundings and how he got to be here, where ever here was. The sudden loss of concentration and composure made him vaguely aware that he was lost, and then he felt it.

"Gyaahh, my head." He hissed and gingerly rubbed the back of his head. He was expecting a hefty amount of crimson but instead saw a small amount on his furred fingers. He was expecting more blood because having his own spilled was a common occurrence nowadays, he smelled it before he saw it.

His mind supplied him with some helpful suggestions as to the type of wound. _'It's likely a small wound, a knock to the head. But why and from who around here?'_

But then another smell permeated his senses.

He could certainly smell his own blood, it was fiery and hot. But then he could smell blood from another, somehow it was in his mouth and on his teeth.

And now, all he wanted was to find the creature that this delectable blood belonged to, like his life depended on it…it was almost calling to him, like a lure, pulling him in.

So off he set, in search of his next meal, having no actual idea where he was except for a hilly range of moors and craggily white cliffs. Unfortunately, for him, the full moon had soon peeked out from behind the cloudy sky and his eyes had soon turned blood red thereafter.

"Arghh, what is happening to me? Gyahh." He crumpled to his knees; his suit, tearing at the seams.

His limbs started to grow exponentially in size, his maw didn't resemble anything you would want to see on a long dark night. It was filled to the brim with sparkling devilishly sharp canines, with a hefty amount of drool seeping out of the sides.

He seemed to be covered from head to toe in dark brown, verging on black fur, with blood red eyes and lethal black claws. The only difference between himself and a regular wolf was his height; he was easily nine feet tall if he reared onto his hind legs.

Within a few seconds of the complete transformation, Kai let out the most blood curdling scream of pain, which soon turned into a mightily loud howl.

The full moon had turned him feral and off he ran on all four paws, towards the nearest village. His gaping and drooling maw was dribbling with slobber in anticipation of his next meal. His new task was to wreak havoc and to feast on some poor unsuspecting soul, one poor unfortunate person who would just end up being his next victim.

He knew he was heading in the right direction, the scent was getting stronger the more inland he got, but first he needed to eat. And a lowly farm shack seemed the perfect place to stop and do just that. The light was on too, which certainly made it easier to see his food, not that he really needed it, although it did make it more romantic for the flock of sheep he stumbled upon.

He walked around on all four paws and leapt into the sheep pen. He tried sinking his maw into the lamb but its woolly fur left a horrid feeling on his teeth. Regardless, he bit into it and felt the bones crunching under the pressure of his impossibly strong jaw. His canines savagely ripped and swallowed down a large chunk of meat and then he left the creature bleating and bleeding as he nimbly jumped out of the pen.

He'd had his fill of meat but now he needed something hairless and bloodier. It was like a part of him didn't want to eat or drink animal flesh, he wanted a human.

His animal form still remained, it was stronger than his human form on this night, the night of a full moon. He peered in through the window and purposefully made a loud racket outside. He knocked over some pails and feeding troughs in an attempt to attract attention.

And right on cue, the farmer exited his humble abode, Kai bided his time and he hid carelessly but purposefully behind the farmer. He was looking at him to see if he was armed with a knife or a gun, it seemed he carried a long range rifle but that was all.

' _Bad idea to turn your back and bad idea to bring a long range weapon for close range.'_

He could sense the blood, could smell it, he could even see it pulsing through the old veins of the old man.

Kai pounced on him and bit hard into his neck, the man struggled for a few minutes and then fell limp. Kai quickly changed aspect into that of his human form and knelt down, locking his mouth and razor sharp teeth back onto the place he had already marked before drawing mouthfuls of essence down his gullet. The feeling was pure exhilaration and euphoria. The warmth of his meal made his eyes burn with fire.

The man's heart had slowed down sufficiently, he would surely die within the next few hours due to blood loss. But at least Kai was satiated, his energy had been replenished and now he could begin to find the one whose blood was originally on his teeth, the taste had been savoured and imprinted into his recesses.

He just had to find the owner of it and he had to understand why this blood was so far away and why he had only had the smallest taste.

 **Ha, okay unexpected. Was one week since the last update, give or take. Thanks for the reviews and feedback. Master of Cupcakes , Mayor of Ninjago city, anonymous guest (I guess I am, but if I don't write it down, I'll forget it!), Echo Zane.**


	8. Damned if you do and damned if you dont

_Lex looked across the large back room. "What of her?" He pointed at the mass of scarlet taffeta that surrounded the entrance to the door. Hidden somewhere within the sumptuous fabric was a female._

 _"Just leave her there for the moment, the door's locked anyway. Maybe get another prop, we could use a new one for her." He suggested with a lazy shrug of his shoulders._

* * *

"This was an accident wasn't it?" Lex asked solemnly.

"It was, but where else was there? The rest of the planets were uninhabitable, space travel is still relatively new, a theory, not to be taken seriously."

"I guess."

"This was the only place that showed technology enough to sustain us, from what we were to what we are now. Besides, this place was considerably more advanced from where we started."

Once the two men had shifted the male sibling into his respectable transportation device, they decided to carry on with their plan. He was sent off within a matter of minutes and like the rest, there was no sign of him anymore.

Again the tube was cleaned, Lex did it this time. He was fast becoming annoyed with his elder's attitude of being far too blasé about the potential fall out of this whole situation.

Lex wanted to expand it from just the initial six ninja to all that had been closely linked to them, specifically the ones that would attempt to cause a scene or stage an uprising. His rather theatrical idea of subduing the lot, was cast to the side, discarded and laughed at, he was admonished for even thinking of it.

Lionel had said that there wasn't near enough man power to pull that off because there were literally too many who could cause trouble. It would just be better to just feign ignorance and leave town as soon as they had done what needed to be done, and that was the plan.

"Lex, we have nothing to go back to. It will be better here, we don't need to explain ourselves to anyone anymore. We won't have to be held to account, to be mocked and ridiculed in front of the deans and lords of the high council. We can start a new life here, we can continue where we left off, before we were interrupted."

"Not in this city we can't, maybe further afield?"

"We can still succeed in this city, live maybe a low profile. We have everything we need right here. We have _this_ and now we'll have no one to stand in our way. It could make us rich beyond our wildest dreams, beyond anything that we ever imagined was possible. A life without bars, without rules and barriers….we could be the technology kings of this realm."

"Myth is dead as is the time of Gods, technology will reign supreme. _We_ have reprogrammed reality." Lex added with a visible sneer.

" _We_ are the future, the _dominant_ paradigm and we _will_ succeed, we haven't come this far to fail."

Lex nodded in agreement, he had finished cleaning the plexi glass tilted tube.

He finished by resetting the dials and pulled down the lever. He watched as the charge in the large copper coils slowly began to build to its required setting. It was never a fast charge. This machine relied heavily on a certain chemical, one that was ridiculously difficult to get hold of on earth. A chemical so dangerous, that people raised their eyebrows in suspicion when the name of the chemical was uttered out loud.

Initially, the previous attempts at time travel had utilised a mixture of electricity but those results weren't always successful or desired. Sometimes the after effects were harsh and gruesome on the people chosen. The cleaning afterwards was horrendous. The unwilling participants often had burns from the prolonged exposure, some had perished on the journey out, they never made it back, why would they?

It was decided, through trial and error, that a gentle steam infusion should be used, one that would keep the moisture and humidity at the right levels, thus allowing the electrification of all those important surface cells to react without burning. This small change alone helped to avoid the previous damage that had been caused by the highly powered beams.

And it worked, but it still needed something else. Liquid nitrogen was used to keep the machine cool, because the first time it was used without any coolant in it, it exploded with a rather unlucky participant strapped in.

It was certainly a sad day for the machine, the two men cared not for the professor who was in it, against his wishes but for the loss of their machine, it was mourned and they gave a fitting drunken wake to the first machine they had ever created.

You could say that it was a learning curve, so _on_ they worked.

They initially used blocks of ice to cool and then when it became available they used liquid nitrogen. Electricity was always used where available, but that too was a costly endeavour, the energy usage went through the roof. Typically eyebrows were raised at this expenditure and they had to find something else to use.

They did eventually find something, when it became available, they used plutonium to give it core power. They had nothing else that was powerful enough to give it that final burst of energy that they needed. A radioactive chemical that split the bonds and created a surplus of power, one that would power it for years to come.

Not that they had a huge surplus of plutonium, it was almost impossible to get hold of. They only had the one rod and the acquisition of it had aged one of the men exponentially. But it wasn't a huge concern anymore, once all the ninja were sent there was no way they would be coming back, they would simply lack the power to even activate the machine…if they could even find it.

It hadn't occurred to either of them that they had sent a literal lightning bolt to the past, one who could easily supply the power required. All Jay would need to do, would be to find their original lab and continue the work that they had started all those years ago, but would he think to look in the Americas for the lab or would he be too preoccupied with his own creations to care about that of others?

* * *

They both stood back and looked at her. They had straightened her silk taffeta dress and rearranged her small top hat, placing it just off centre. A wooden stake was placed next to her chest and a dribble of Lex's blood was left running from her mouth. She looked like she was sleeping peacefully, in a coffin, in her own mausoleum whilst in her best dress, after having drunk the life-blood of someone innocent. Perfectly plausible!

The photos, like before, were taken. A polaroid was placed with her, slipped into the ribbon of her top hat. Yet there was still something amiss as she lay in a large black polystyrene casket.

"She has no bite mark scar, she could just resemble a female of that century. Maybe we could just send her as is?" Lex suggested.

The elder smiled, "Where's the hilarity in that? Part of the fun in this, is the chance to send them back as literary figures. Did it occur to you that perhaps these figures were _actual_ people shrouded in mystery, that the authors took an interest in and wrote about?"

Lex shook his head, tilting it to the side. "Or maybe the authors had nothing better to do than to stalk regular people meandering about their daily boring uneventful lives!" He mumbled the last part tailing off at the end. Lionel didn't respond to the sarcasm.

' _Obviously, these weren't real people, just the overactive imaginations of some incredibly bored authors who led a sad existence…..just like us.'_

"Well, I'm not biting her Lionel!"

The elder walked across to her and checked her teeth, making sure the canines were still in place. "We won't need to, she's still complete. She has everything with her. She's good as is, unless you want to stake her whilst she's still alive?" He said with an evil chuckle, Lex wasn't sure if he was being serious or not. He quite liked this one, she was pretty, it was easy to see how she could have created animosity between two best friends.

"How old was she anyway?"

"The vampire?"

Lex nodded quickly.

"At a guess? Probably younger than Dorian Gray. Not that it matters though, only three of them have mortality to worry about."

They both picked her up and placed her in the tube like all the others before her and pushed the lever up, turning the dial slowly. Then they stood back and watched in fascination as she began disappearing before their eyes.

Once she had gone, they looked back at each other. A sigh of relief was shared, followed by a quick hug, and then they quickly packed everything away and they did it in silence.

* * *

"Mina, Mina, Mina! So _disappointing_ to see you in this neck of the woods. It's almost like you _wanted_ to be captured." A mocking voice spoke from the darkness.

She struggled against the bright candle light, she could feel a thin rope restraining her hands behind her back. No pain anywhere else, maybe a slight headache.

"Wh-who are you?"

"Really? I'm mildly surprised and also a little offended you cannot remember, we do have such rich history together. Your betrothed _Jonathan_ employed my services when your friend Lucy was taken by the same monster that took you as his intended dead bride. You remember now I presume?"

"What is the meaning of this?" She hissed and then vaguely remembered. "V-Van Helsing?"

"In the flesh!" He winked, she could only just see his gray eyes scrutinizing her.

"Bite me!" She spat in response. His eyebrow raised at her newfound yet unrefined behavior.

"I see all those years in your _casket_ has made you no less graceful, Mina. I think you'll agree that is more _your_ forte."

She didn't respond, she merely stared at him, in confusion then anger, mostly hunger.

"No, I'm here to make sure all your evil doings don't progress into an unstoppable force of the undead, like before, when Dracula was roaming these same coast lines."

"What do you _really_ want?" She finally stopped struggling, the rope slipped from one wrist. "I'll do anything." She said with a teasing wink.

"I do not want your body Mina, I'm not into necromancy nor the other sexual relations with the dead. _This_ is a final warning…"

"A warning?" She smiled but kept her hands behind her back. Her hunger was insatiable, she could sense the blood all around her, she could smell it, see it pumping in his neck. His carotid artery was pulsing with each beat. She licked her blood red lips, her canines pure white and sharp, desperate for a taste of the vampire hunter's blood or that of his men, she wasn't picky.

"MINA, you either stay off this patch, _this_ area or I _will_ end you. Like I did with Jonathan and everybody else you had turned. I know what you are Mina, you're the devil of the night, a night crawler, the undead, a blasphemous disgrace, you are all that is unholy. If I see you again, around here, _I'll_ drive the damn stake through your black withered heart and I'll make your beloved brother watch."

The circle of sacramental bread was finally broken by his remaining men and he allowed her to stand, offering her free passage. He already knew she had broken her bonds but with a little knowledge came power and he was quick to retrieve his trusty crucifix, he pushed it toward her as a visible threat when she tried to advance on him.

Typically and as he had expected, she flinched away from it.

Almost as if she could feel the blazing heat from the lord God, chastising her worship of the devil himself. The crucified son mocking her and shaking his divine head at her weak morals whilst despising and damning her soul for being unable to stop herself from feasting on the blood of the innocent, day in day out.

She was a slave to the eternal lord of darkness and of the damned, she was a soulless nightwalker. Forever destined to be at the mercy of bloodlust.

"I guess, the sun will rise in perhaps….what…" He looked at his golden fob watch, he placed it to his ear to check the movement was still ticking, it was. "Hmm, a little over a quarter of an hour, that is, if Big Ben is on time! So it looks like your sleeping quarters will be here in the slums of this lovely part of east London. Quite the dismal surroundings compared to your usual sleeping arrangements, but nothing you can't handle, right?"

"Fare thee well Mina, give my regards to the family won't you." He nodded and tipped his top hat, watching as she hurried off to find a shelter from the impending rising sun.

* * *

She couldn't afford to run, she didn't want to attract attention, especially in these parts of London. East London was well known as being the cesspit of poverty and disease. People lived on the streets, they stole what they could, pick pockets were rife around here.

Mina didn't care though, she had nothing of value on her.

She walked but kept checking behind her as the sky started to change from a dark blue to a gray. It was still cloudy, but it would hurt no less even without the sun beating down on her.

She walked to the Thames, it was a short walk, through mostly empty alleyways. One had been cordoned off, police officers were stationed at the entrance. They tipped their heads at her, thinking to her to be someone of high standing, she was wearing a rather luxurious outfit after all.

" _Read all about it_ , The Ripper strikes again, _read all about it_." Came a young male voice with a playful intonation, he skipped out from behind her. He was running down the street with enough energy to make her envious of his young heart, but he was far too young to consider, his life had barely begun.

He was one of the lucky ones who had avoided the mills and workhouses, he had got himself a little job that paid enough to buy a loaf of bread for his family, it was better than nothing.

She picked up a ripped and discarded broadsheet off the muddy floor. It had yesterdays date on it but that wasn't important. The face she saw on the front made her eyes widen in alarm, she recognized the young man in the picture. He looked gaunt, tired, stressed but it was him alright, it was Jay, she knew that face anywhere.

"Oh god, what the hell happened?" She asked herself and looked at her surroundings as if seeing them for the first time. Her hand had shot to her mouth in one swift movement, and she held back a scream of pure terror until anger took its place.

She thought back to what had just happened and what that man had warned her about.

' _A quarter of an hour, fifteen minutes before sunrise.'_

The sun finally appeared on the horizon as Big Ben struck 7 o'clock and she instantly felt a searing pain on the only exposed skin that the sparse ray of sun had touched.

She cringed and hid in the alley, looking for a way out.

It was just like he had warned, the only available things to seek refuge in were large crates. Had she thought about it, she might have made it to the nearest cemetery and she could have climbed into an empty grate that lay atop a burial mound.

She climbed into the crate, glad to find it mostly empty save for straw. Her dress catching on the crooked nails that held the crude crate in one piece. She heard it tearing in places but she didn't care to stop and see where it had ripped only that it provided a certain cushioning against the splintering wood of the shipping crate.

Hopefully, this little sailing vessel wouldn't be going anywhere soon. She didn't want to have to think up an excuse on the fly as to how she came to be found in a crate.


	9. I take mine rare, sorry RAW

His four paws, carried him across large and expansive countryside. Leaps and effortless bounds over stye's and hedgerows. If anybody had been out for a midnight stroll, they would have had a heart attack at seeing such a creature running at them full pelt.

His keen hearing picked up the sounds of running water, as it slid over a multitude of rocks. A small brook he noted as he jumped over it, pausing briefly to drink.

Again, he carried on running, his energy unending just like the rolling green hills, and the nearby winding river. He guessed if he was a normal wolf, it would have taken two days _at least_ to reach this distance but his bounds were long and fast.

He'd been running most of the night, the rare dinner and house red he had consumed hours earlier had given him a burst of energy, he smiled at the memory. A romantic meal for one, underneath the bright starlit sky. A sumptuous rare lamb steak and a good pint of human red wine, delectable. The taste was still butter like, with a distinct taste of metal, the farmer certainly had a good iron count, that was for sure.

He slowed to a more manageable pace and regarded the sign post in front of him. Coming to a complete standstill, he caught his breath and squinted at the sign in confusion.

Taking a quick glance at the painted street sign, he growled in annoyance at it. He noted that it was difficult for his eyes to focus on but the oil lantern had lit the sign enough to see the white board with black raised lettering.

He changed aspect, his human form was more suited to talking and reading anything meant for mortals. It also had advantages which included being as suave as hell helping him get all the female company he so desired.

Maybe it was his dark persona or his overly shy antics, perhaps it was something else, they just seemed to flock to him like lost sheep, he never turned them down though.

If he was honest with himself, meaningful relationships weren't his thing, the full moon always saw to that.

Plus, he had lost count of the times he had to break a girls heart, not literally though. He had always found it hard to explain his jaunts out of the house from sunset to sunrise, on certain days. The reasons he had to give, for stalking back to his bed chambers with muddy feet, smelling like a damp dog with feathers in his hair.

He could never explain it, going for a walk in the park didn't really cut it, and it was difficult to hide. Sometimes, if he remembered, he would dip his feet and hands in a freshwater stream, giving himself a strip wash, removing all evidence of his night time activities.

Most of the time, he lived alone...it was easier.

But tonight, something was off. He had no recollection of the past few hours before he had woken on the shingle covered beach. How he had come to be there? Why he had blood on his lips and on his teeth? Why he was dressed so smartly yet so far away from any civilisation? He had no answers to the multitude of questions.

* * *

He looked back up to the sign.

"Seven Oaks?" He mumbled in a raspy voice as if asking a question.

He shrugged his aching shoulders and crouched low, his canine aspect was so much easier to use when he required speed and stealth. Being part werewolf and vampire certainly gave him the best of both worlds but it also gave him an unquenchable thirst and hunger for the rarest of meats.

He almost groaned in pleasure when a small creature caught his olfactory senses. It was so close to him, even its mother was at an arms-reach. He licked his lips as they both neared, the smell was intoxicating.

His throat was still parched so he grabbed the first thing that was stupid enough to wander into his path. It would have been either the mother or its young, luckily for the mother, it would get to live.

It ran off in the opposite direction as Kai bit down hard into the furry brown neck of the younger creature. The bones cracking as he sank his fangs in, gulping it down. Feeling the warmth hit the back of his throat was a pleasure in itself.

He cast aside the body of the fawn and licked at his teeth, flicking a piece of brown spotted fur from between.

Squinting his eyes, he could clearly see the appearance of a large mansion. He was expecting to see a set number of huge opposing oak trees, as the sign post had suggested. His disappointment was plain to see when he couldn't see any.

His eyebrow was cocked, he could see multiple other trees in his midst, they all looked the same this time of night, tall and pointy, evergreen pines and the odd skeletal tree standing bare with no leaves nor blossom.

Taking a deep breath in, he could smell human's too, a sure sign he was getting close to a bigger and more populated civilisation. "Where the…" He paused to catch his breath, "hell am I?"

He changed aspect as soon as he could. His clothes now torn and tattered, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to get anywhere like this, especially during daylight hours.

His current state was dire, he knew that there'd be no way that he could travel during daylight, the sun would make sure of that. Sunset and anytime from then until sunrise would be his only choice unless he could find a better option.

Luckily there were still a few hours left before the sun would rise, it allowed him the time to think. To come up with an idea that wouldn't involve hiding out like a criminal waiting for the gallows.

He took the footbridge across a small river, this path leading into what looked like a private estate.

After travelling across the wooden footbridge, he traversed a six-foot sandstone wall with ease, taking the opportunity to hide within the rotting undergrowth of the nearby felled trees.

It worked to his advantage, some of the fetid and rotten trees assisted with hiding his masculine wet dog scent, at least from the nearby horses. The last thing he needed was the horses becoming spooked by his approach.

Being trampled by one of those beasts was not on his list of things to try before he died.

Although, the more he thought about it, the more he laughed.

 _It would hurt certainly but it wouldn't kill me._

His only weakness when he actually thought about it was silver bullets and the obligatory stake. Yet the more he thought about it and what his weaknesses were, the more bizarre images flew into his mind.

Suddenly and without warning, names and colours started coming to his memory, like a Rolodex. He was laying on the leaf-strewn undergrowth, panting heavily as his mind was attacked by pictures, he was sure he had never seen before.

He blinked and rubbed his eyes, thinking that maybe he had stumbled into a patch of sporous fungi, his nose hadn't picked up any strange smells, except for the one that was still burned into his mind when he had initially woken.

Focusing on his breathing he allowed himself to relax, he let it happen and he relaxed into it. He remembered small bits at first. A flurry of parchment fell in front of his closed eyes, there were pictures on each one. Colours and patterns unlike any he had ever seen before, oriental in design, far-away places.

An invite, a party, they had all dressed up and were having a good time.

' _Who are they? Where was this place?'_

He thought whether this was all just a bad dream or a hallucination?

The last few images slowed down, he saw moving pictures of a young man dressed in his same suit, he was being invited into another room with a remarkably familiar face.

The next image was of him and how he had woken up a few hours prior. He could clearly remember waking up cold and wet, in the dark. He wondered why or how he came to being so very alone. He took a quick glimpse, he was wearing similarly styled clothing as the young man in those images but his face showed shock when he looked down at his suit.

His suit was destroyed, from the knees down. Typically, his wolf body was far too big upon changing when the full moon reached the sky.

"OH GOD, NYA…" His face dropped, his breath coming in deep ragged gasps. He placed his hand over his mouth to hide his terrified shriek and then trembled with fear when he felt and smelled the familiar scent of blood. He really wanted to retch, he felt sick, he had no idea why.

"I-I need to get out of here, I need to get help.."

He could see three stories of a mansion standing proudly in its own grounds. Oil lamps lit, carriages lined up outside the main doorway, with horse and carriage men waiting to take their passengers homeward bound.

That would be his salvation for this night. He would get a lift in the carriage of one of these many that stood empty. The perfect opportunity, especially if he could smell which ones had come from the heavy polluted city streets. The stench from the carriage wheels would tell him easily which one that would be.

Maybe he could persuade the occupant of said carriage to willingly give up his outfit, perhaps he might have to use his gifts to persuade.

The coachmen were all talking between themselves, partaking in a hot toddy of sorts. It was a cold night for most, Kai couldn't feel it though, his blood ran hot, this night.

Quietly he crept up to the furthest horse carriage, he stilled his movements as the horse noticed odd movement. He sniffed the nearest wooden wheel, he could smell remnants of dried human waste, this carriage had come from a nearby town, possibly a city.

He slowed his movements so much, allowing the horse to become used to his presence. He noted that the horse's ears were pointing backwards but they weren't pinned, her tail was still.

The mare wasn't spooked yet, so Kai took that as his cue to climb into the opposite side of the carriage, the side that backed onto the lawn of the stately home, against the backdrop of the full moon.

"Easy as pie." He mumbled and lay in wait, hiding in the darkest shadow of the carriage, waiting patiently for the next victim to join him for bite to eat, a spot of dinner.


	10. It's Bedlam in here!

He had decided to spend the night before with Igor, they had both partaken in a large amount of Scotch to calm Igor's nerves, more than anything. The poor young man was trembling like a leaf in a gale, when Lloyd had first arrived and it was the least he could do. It gave them both plenty of time to go over the plans for the following day, specifically; how to break Jay out of there and his further recovery at home.

He had begrudgingly left the black bricked townhouse and had carefully climbed up and into the brown covered horse drawn carriage. He pulled the scarlet sashes across and had lowered the window to bid a farewell to Igor. "I'll get him back Igor, do not worry yourself needlessly."

Igor smiled at his promise, it was a risky endeavour but he had all faith in Dr Jekyll's plan. "I will see you later then?"

Lloyd nodded and smiled, then tapped his cane on the panelling behind him alerting the horseman to begin the journey. "Later Igor, get some rest and notify Cole and Zane of my plans as soon as you can, just in case of failure."

Igor nodded and stood back as the carriage began to move. He didn't seem overly concerned that he was standing and getting soaked to the bone. The weather was horrendous, but it wasn't cold, it was unseasonably warm, the rain only added to the humidity.

* * *

His carriage plodded along, squelching slowly through the waterlogged streets as the two horses struggled to get a decent grip in the mud. It wasn't long before they were travelling south and over Westminster bridge.

The first thing he felt was the apprehension of what lay ahead and what he needed to do. He knew he wasn't a psychiatrist, he was a physician first and foremost. But if his memories served him correctly, he had received a telegram many weeks ago, his services had been asked for in treating some of the lost souls who had picked up injuries or who had festering wounds because of restraints that were used.

He wasn't exactly working at that moment, he'd been too busy trying to find answers as to how and why they had ended up in London during the late Victorian Era. But he snapped up the job offer as money would fast become an issue for a few of them.

He thought back to what Igor had said, he mentioned that Jay's monster had done it, but he was not to be held accountable. It was absurd, the thought of it made Mr Hyde make a brief appearance even if it was just a mere glimpse of his alter ego.

He momentarily closed his mind to his brothers and instead focussed on what Jekyll and Hyde would do, although he focused more on the civil one, rather than the overly aggressive side. Pulling forth some of that medical knowledge he'd be able to use when he arrived at Bethlem Hospital.

Pulling back the small scarlet sash in his carriage, he turned his nose up at the awful smell of sewerage as it wafted into his carriage from the river below. It left the pungent aroma of a rotten egg to linger like an unwelcome guest.

He hoped that it wouldn't taint his clothes, he'd paid a small fortune for the soap, the Astor cologne had almost broken the bank but it was worth it, plus it also helped Kai to hide his god awful stink.

The cologne, was at present, leaving a pleasant aroma to fill his senses once he was finally over the winding rat infested river.

The filthy brown stretch of water had cut through the city like a giant scar. Typically, it was the main thoroughfare of the city. The river banks were always laden with decrepit clipper ships, loading and unloading cargo. Those ships looked more rotten than anything, it was a small wonder that they hadn't just sunk when they sped across the English Channel or bottomed out when they finally docked somewhere, he was surprised that they hadn't been decommissioned.

Then there were the fully rigged three-mast ships, looking splendid as always, well the senior staff did. Lloyd had thought to himself, sitting aimlessly in his carriage watching the overworked crew doing everything on command.

He noted, with disdain, the ripped slops they wore as clothes. The overall state of their physical appearance was terrible despite the musculature on show. He correctly deduced that it would be a collaboration of many factors; a possible overindulgence of rum and whisky, maybe not enough citrus fruit and far too much labour intensive work.

Finally, after twenty more minutes and a quick check of his fob, he noted it was almost five to the hour. He straightened his attire as he sat and waited with baited breath, as the large gates opened to allow his carriage free passage to the main entrance.

Bethlem was grandiose in style, it was magnificent from the outside, fully laid to lawn with a long driveway that saw numerous carriages arrive and depart at frightening speed, it provided a startling clarity that painted an ominous picture of the sheer amount of mentally unstable, trapped within her walls.

The hospital for the psychiatrically insane looked akin to Queen Victoria's home of Buckingham Palace, aside from the fact that Bethlem was on the wrong side of the river Thames.

Despite its palatial pretensions, the place was suffering slight physical deterioration with uneven floors, the odd buckling wall and a leaking roof, but that wasn't seen from the outside. The physicians who visited mentioned that it resembled a crazy carcass, not too dissimilar from some of the patients she housed.

"It looks like a gigantic brick built Palace," Lloyd mumbled to himself, he was impressed with what he saw but it gave off an eerie vibe.

He received no response, he was talking to himself, albeit quietly. "I bet it looks better in the summer…"

This grand building was surrounded by ash and elm trees and harsh black railings to make the place look less intense. If anything it still looked opposing and incredibly oppressive to those trapped within.

But from the outside he could see the sheer size of the building, the majority of less insane patients were allowed to roam freely, even to the extent of venturing out into the city. It was a hospital of sorts, more alms than anything for those who needed shelter or food. They were the lucky ones, the ones who got to leave.

Lloyd, now known as Dr Jekyll, or on occasion as Mr Hyde, had arrived promptly at 9 o'clock as he believed the clock tower would have struck. He listened carefully, he could just make out all of the London clocks chiming in quick succession, reminding him of a familiar nursery rhyme.

His fob watch, that was almost stolen a few days ago was timed to the exact timing of the main clock tower and great bell of Westminster palace, called Big Ben by the commoners.

He discreetly took his daily serum, hidden within a hip flask. This small amount was sufficient for keeping Mr Hyde at bay for the duration of his stay here. For to have his own alter ego make an appearance here today would be the end of his career and livelihood. He would be in the basement with the worst of them.

The whole place made Lloyd shudder, he kept it hidden, ran a hand through his impeccably smart but longish blonde hair. Aside from being structurally unsound and perilously underfunded, Bethlem had a disturbing history of being an abusive setting during a time when treatment of the "mad" was primarily physical constraints, the ones he wanted to avoid being afforded to Jay.

* * *

"Good day sir, a pleasant journey?" The orderly took his wet jacket and top hat and then handed him a sheet of new patient admissions to go over, thinking him a permanent fixture of this hospital for the alms.

"New admissions, Sir…"

He nodded in response, he didn't need to speak as such, at least not to an orderly. He perused the list but saw no familiar name, likely attributed to the fact that his friend was not particularly new.

 _No, Igor quite clearly stated he had been here for a few days at least, it seems more like a week._ He handed all of the new admissions back with a shake of his head.

It was quite funny to think that Jay had chosen such a quirky character to portray, out of all the sane ones he could have chosen, he had to choose the most socially awkward, the most psychotic of the lot, save for himself of course.

Victor Frankenstein, in hindsight now Lloyd had thought about it, should certainly be in here as he had lost all sense of reality and with his impaired functioning, and his nonexistent sense of objective reality. He was a true danger to himself and everyone around him.

The mind that Jay shared with his character didn't allow free thought because his mind was a jumble of numbers, quadratic equations, figures, electrical currents, body parts, circulatory systems and the worst….self-loathing.

 _Jay shouldn't be here though…_

He was eager to find him, he needed to get him away. A niggling feeling made itself known, that made him question his reason for being here. Jay was living in that big London townhouse with Igor, he had some company but when Igor slept, Jay carried on working. He worked every hour of the day, so much so that his eyelids had reddened.

Dorian, although his mansion was huge in comparison, couldn't keep any more odd occupants. He already had Zane there and him on occasion. Jay, lived relatively alone.

He had the room in his house to accommodate, and he knew of one who could do with a roof over his head. One who slept very little because sleep was still relatively new to him.

Zane, he would be the perfect housemate for Jay. Between Igor and Zane, they could both keep an eye on him, to keep him from destroying himself at least.

"Doctors rounds for the existing occupants of the psychiatric wards?" Came a higher pitched but smooth Atlantic accent. It was a question rather than an observation, so it would seem.

Lloyd did a double take and turned to find the source of the soothing voice, his green eyes settling on a much younger blonde doctor, one who looked as young as his original self and not the thirty-year-old body he was currently residing in. "Thank you, and you would be?" He said as he took half of the sheets from the ever expanding pile of parchment.

"I'm your new junior doctor for the day, sir. S-sorry, excuse me, my name is Mr Cushing."

"Have you ventured far to get here today?" Lloyd inquired.

He nodded and pushed his metal-rimmed spectacles back onto the bridge of his nose. "I am well studied, I have been housed in Liverpool. This is merely to increase my repertoire of demented and insane patients."

"Indeed…" Lloyd replied subconsciously as he thumbed the list, becoming sidetracked by the sound of water dripping into metal buckets nearby.

"It is often said that the full moon explains the reasons for their madness, do you believe this too?" The young doctor asked as he stood at the side of Lloyd, he regarded this blonde Dr Jekyll as his superior.

"Perhaps pertinent for you to conduct a study on the matter, also further research as to why we seem to have so many more here in February." He said whilst passing back the remainder of the sheets. Glad that his poker straight face was hiding his true feelings of wanting to flat out laugh at making the young doctor do his bidding.

"Maybe a lengthy research study would be beneficial for furthering your education, no?"

The young doctor nodded enthusiastically and agreed.

"Then you can begin with the first half of these patients as they seemed to show more unnatural behavioural tendencies during the lunar cycles."

He gave the half the sheet to the young doctor and he accepted it gratefully.

 _Sucker!_ Lloyd hid the smirk that came to his face.

He had starred his own patients that he would visit, ending with Jay. His list only had four patients on, which equated to an easy and potentially straightforward day.

He was handed a much smaller list with basic patient details, he smirked at the fact that the roundings' were so much smaller in comparison to the new admittances. This meant that Bedlam was approaching capacity and fast.

Soon there would be too many here and they would need to build another asylum or maybe pack them into the open cells beneath….or maybe, just maybe they could fund a medication that actually worked instead of leaving them hysterical.

"So tell me, what part of this are you interested in?" Lloyd questioned, he hated using airs and graces. He hated this era, it was so depressing and archaic. There was nothing about this life he liked, except for the power his stature and title gave him, he was, at present, a well-respected physician paid well and held in high esteem.

The young doctor stalled as he continued to glance through all the patient names. "Sorry?"

"What field are you interested in Dr Cushing?" Lloyd repeated with some intrigue as he thumbed down the list of long-term patients.

"I have a fondness for studying neurology." He finally replied but kept his gaze on the parchment he held firm, he was shaking, slightly nervous at the questioning from the senior doctor.

Lloyd smirked. "Indeed, it is a fascinating subject."

His green eyes settled on a familiar name, he creased a line with his finely manicured nails underlining _V.V. J.F_

Carefully, he pocketed the fob watch after checking the time. "Is it the inner workings of the brain or an interest into the medications that make them catatonic?" He asked although he showed no real interest.

The young doctor seemed excited to be asked and his eyes widened at his superiors' piqued interest. "I wish to become a neurosurgeon of sorts. To look _into_ the brain, that subject matter is most fascinating."

He perused the list again and found the additional details he required. "Not overly squeamish then?" He inquired with a raised eyebrow.

His physicians' mind made a mental note that in order to become a surgeon of any kind required a strong stomach, an even stronger resolve and a dastardly ambition to learn rather than to cure.

 ** _Victor Von Frankenstein_** , check. There was really only one person that could possibly have that name. No one else in this country had such a foreign sounding name, save for Jay, he thought to himself.

Unbeknownst to Jay, was that character was his alter ego. Whatever happened on his journey here, altered his perception of reality. That was what Zane had mentioned to him anyway and Lloyd had not questioned it.

Lloyd had used his physician skills from his own character's memory to confirm that same fact. Jay was unstable, there really was no doubt about it.

 ** _Male_** _, check._ This was a good start, at least he knew they had checked his gender, although the more he thought about that, the more he realised that some of the occupants became genderless after being institutionalised for so long.

It was the insanity, it made them act feral and their strength surpassed that of any normal human. It was why they were down in the basement, wearing branks. He shuddered at the images of their faces and their shocking brown teeth. The branks were never removed, they served as a protection for themselves and to prevent any biting episodes.

Moving on, he checked down the handwritten sheet, the ink was dry but it was lightly smudging because he had just travelled in from the rain.

 ** _Malnourished_** _, check._ He knew Jay wasn't eating all that much. He simply shrugged it off, ate sparse amounts because his damned beast took all of his waking moments.

 ** _Age: 19_** , _check._ Too young to be in here, to be burdened with all this on his shoulders. No wonder Frankenstein became unstable, Lloyd had remembered brief Cliff notes on the book and the fact that it stated he lost everything dear to him before he even reached his twenties.

 ** _Diagnosis: Psychosis_** , _check_. Actually, that was spot on correct, completely accurate. Lloyd couldn't fault the physician who had correctly diagnosed him and he felt slightly bad that he would need to sully his name in order to get Jay out of here.

 ** _Treatment: restraint and opiates_** _, Damn,_ that was _not_ good. It was the polar opposite, The last they needed as a group was someone with an addiction. Lloyd thought back to his current team, the ones that he had found. He already had a bad boy satyromaniac who took anything on two legs (within reason, they had to be fair of face according to Dorian) Cole just shrugged it off in the morning, sometimes he'd blush other times he'd boast.

Then there was Zane, he was fast becoming a recluse, preferring to spend time on his own, not unlike Jay. At least he hadn't witnessed any odd behaviour yet from him, but then he had been spending the majority of time living with the bad influence known as Cole.

The only scary part of all this was the fact that the longer they remained in this form the more likelihood they would meet their final demise at the hands of each of their foes, which set a plan of action into motion….

Lloyd thought on it as he made his way to his first patient, he would need to come up with an evening event and invite everyone, perhaps they could hold it at Jay's house, it seemed right, more central, maybe they could make it a regular occurrence.


	11. Scent from you to me

The first thing Kai had done upon arriving in the city of London was to sneak out of the carriage unnoticed. It was actually a lot harder that it seemed, the carriage rocked with such small momentum that he had to prop the dead body on the seat behind him to even out the weight distribution on the rear axle.

He saw a large thoroughfare, with a slow and steady trail of carriages. It was too good an opportunity to pass up, so he carefully opened the carriage door and hopped out when it was stationary.

The coachman didn't notice, and if he did Kai didn't much care. He had sloped off in the dead of night, giving him perhaps a few more hours to find shelter and to get his bearings. The coachman may have thought he hit a pothole, it wasn't unheard of after all, besides many a carriage lost a good wheel after doing the exact same thing.

Now free of the moving wooden carriage he took a deep breath in and instantly regretted it, he was hit with the most hideous smells possible. It was a mixture of pungent odours and rotting foods, coupled with the odd smell of embalming fluid, formaldehyde and disease. So completely overwhelming to the fresh air he had travelled from. He didn't particularly like the stronger smells but it seemed that whatever they used, masked the smell of death and disease, therefore he quickly learned to accept it.

Once his nose got used to the stench, he picked up other smells, some were pleasant others were foreign, musky masculine scents. Then there was a feminine scent mostly laden with floral rose and lavenders. Luckily for him, the scent of Wolfsbane was very mild and it seemed to accompany a much stronger masculine scent. He took it to mean that whomsoever held the plant that could lead to his demise, was also a male.

Another positive to being here was the population was obscenely high. He was extremely happy for the fact that there were so many more people here than the countryside he had travelled from, it was like a veritable banquet.

 _'All you possibly eat and everything is ripe for the picking.'_

A couple of days had passed since his arrival and he was near to the river. He didn't want to get too close, the stench made his stomach turn. The closer he got to it the more it hid the more important smells he so desired, so he stayed back from it. All the while wanting to know where his sister was and where his brothers were. He'd never felt so lonely in all of his life, but at the time he'd never felt such power.

He could smell it on the breeze, he knew he was so much closer to that heavenly scent. It was so close he could taste it. He allowed himself a quick expedition and he trailed it back to a large black bricked house, he frowned with disappointment upon finding the large house was empty.

Standing at the front door, he took a deep breath in, he could smell two male occupants who would normally reside here, one of which was absent and had only recently left for a quick jaunt. The other, he noted, had been gone for a few days and no more.

There were traces of his blood all over the large house, as well as other scents of blood. He had wondered if he had come across a butcher's shop, hidden away from all, looking completely inconspicuous to all who passed.

Now he knew where the owner of the delectable blood lived, now he could stay here and watch. Watch and wait, in the hope that he would not be long to return, he wasn't sure his appetite could wait that long.

His nose told him that whoever lived here, held a secret so dear that they didn't want anyone to know of it, The other, less interesting blood that he could smell was so faint, the strong smell of disinfectant and iodine covered most of it up.

He waited for a few more days, sucking dry the odd homeless person as a snack, it was certainly worth it. Even more so when he caught another scent on the air, other than the stink of the river. He could smell a vaguely familiar oriental scent of cherry and vanilla, it was coming from nearby.

* * *

His nose and strong sense of smell brought him to an alleyway, it ended near some crates, one stacked upon another all nailed closed.

Once he had ripped the top off, he peered in and saw a waking female. Of course, he recognised her at once. "What the... ** _Nya!_** " He said loudly, quickly clamping a hand over his mouth. "Nya?" He mumbled again, quietly, stroking her dark ringlets from her dusty face.

"Imagine my surprise when I find _you_ , of all people hiding in a shipping crate!" He smiled, it stretched across his face, as he scooped her out. He tried his best to keep his stony unemotional face hidden, he was so close to losing it.

" _Kai?_ " she responded weakly, she looked like she'd been sleeping for a while..

He embraced her so tightly, he didn't want to let her go, he didn't dare. "I've been looking for you for _two_ days…" His voice was broken and he looked away in shame. "I couldn't remember anything, I mean I still can't, some things are sketchy." He still hadn't let her go. "You, you were all I could think of." His head fell into the crook of her neck. "It is you isn't it?" He laughed quietly.

She nodded and cried into his shoulder. "We're not safe here Kai, we _both_ have enemies." She shivered in the cold night air.

He frowned at her, thinking that maybe she'd been hurt. As far as he knew, he hadn't come across any mortal enemies yet. He couldn't for the life of him remember who his enemy was.

"Even the sun is against us." She replied dejectedly, she was sobbing into his shoulder.

He bit his lip, dreading to even contemplate what she may have been subjected to since they had been here. He held her close, "Nya, I'm here now. You're not alone."

Her head was buried in the crook of his neck, "I was scared, I've never been so scared in all my life."

"So we're creatures of the night then?" He said lifting her chin up. "Cold blooded?"

She didn't answer him, she couldn't even contemplate their situation let alone what he was saying or what it all meant. All she wanted to know was where he had been for almost three nights. "What have you been doing Kai? Where have you been, I've been stuck here for days with Helsing watching my every move."

Kai didn't click onto the name, "So you've got a guy watching you already huh?" He laughed gently.

She slowly shook her head but still remained close to her brother reciprocating the small laugh, "I-I thought that if I stayed here for long enough he'd lose interest but every night he's been watching me."

She looked up into his burning hazel eyes, he seemed more alive, stronger than she remembered and somehow more sinister looking in the cold dark of night. "You stink like a wet dog Kai! And where have you been?"

He couldn't tell her what he'd been doing for those weeks, she'd probably be disgusted with him. "I've been busy and uhm, s-sorry about the smell, it sort of comes with the...err suit." He chuckled, it was a partial truth.

Kai turned cautiously and saw a man who stood leaning against a lamp post, at the end of the darkened alleyway. "Is that him?" That same smell came back, it blocked his senses, leaving him more vulnerable than he cared to admit.

Nya nodded, "We need to leave, NOW!, can't risk you falling into his radar."

He didn't need any further encouragement, he scooped her up and they ran off in the opposite direction. "Just hold onto me and I'll get you to safety."

He smiled as he carried her away from danger. "FSM Nya, When did you last eat?"

"I haven't, for a few days at least, I'm so hungry. I tried the normal food but I couldn't stomach it." She turned her nose up.

He cocked his head to the side, "Well that would explain why you feel lighter at least!"

She managed a small grin, "not that you could call it food, it was gross, I've tasted better at YoSushi and Chen's noodle house."

He smiled at that. "Great, so I got a feast lined up for you, just around the corner from here and likely away from _his_ territory too."

He let his nose guide him back to the black bricked townhouse, her scent was somewhat slightly distracting. "The thought of drinking blood turns my stomach Kai, I can't take someone's life."

She chuckled at his choice of words though, she'd only just picked up on them. "Territory, Kai? You're talking more like a dog now."

He shook his head and bit back a sarcastic retort, it was good to see her smiling, in fact it was good to see her in general. "It's either eat or die Nya, we chose these forms, this is just a stupid story, no-one's gonna get hurt are they?"

He grinned at her and she saw the energy in his eyes. "Besides, who said anything about killing?"

He placed her down gently and they waited as a dark carriage pulled up. The carriage was as dark as the horses and everything was the same colour as the night. Everything was black and reminded him of a funeral hearse. "So what are you saying?"

"A feast, something to fill us both up."

She was interested now. "Who is it then? One of these men?"

Kai cocked his brow at the tall dark haired man who exited the carriage. He was certainly smartly dressed, not a hair out of place. Even Nya caught a scent and licked her lips.

"Not him Nya…"

Another person came out of the carriage but his profile was harder to distinguish. His scent was still strong. To Kai, it was stronger than the dark haired man, and the darker haired man smelled older. That in itself was odd, although he looked not a day over 18 he smelled like he was over a hundred. He seemed more mature.

The other one, however, his scent was heavily masked with cologne. Kai could smell the pheromones coming from him, _likely the need for the cologne_. He thought.

He tried listening in to the conversation, slightly annoyed at the cats screeching at him from nearby. He caught the tail end of it before both guests were invited in. "Thanks, Igor, I'm glad he was successful. He doesn't belong in there but glad he's on his way home."

"Come in, he shouldn't be long, doesn't take too long to travel across town."

* * *

He turned to Nya. "We need to get in there, how are you at climbing?"

She turned to look at him incredulously. "Have you ever tried climbing in a dress with a corset?" Her hand was resting on her hip, her expression was mostly unimpressed.

He shook his head a little. "Turn around then."

He walked up behind her and cut at the boned parts of her dress with his sharpened nails. His fingers grazed some very bony prominences and he pulled out each thin sliver of whale bone from her corset. The front seemed to stay put, but the backbones were removed swiftly allowing her to take in a deep invigorating breath.

"Better?" He asked as he cast the bones onto the floor.

She nodded again. "The only problem is, I've just realised how hungry I am. And there's still this!" She said pointing to the longer part of her dress. "Can't climb in a long dress can I?"

He bit his lip, he was unsure about this. He didn't exactly have the money to replace her dress, and from what he had seen, the women of this day and age wore dresses to the floor, covering them in their entirety. The only noticeable parts that he saw in the eyeful, was the bosoms, the corsets made them stand out even worse, but he was a man, it was in his nature to look.

He wasn't sure that he wanted men looking at his sister in that manner. Women's right weren't exactly high on the agenda in the 19th century. At least that was what he had noticed since being in London, seeing it for the past few nights at how much the females suffered.

"Come on Kai, you've seen me in short dresses before." She said with a wink.

"Yeah, but that's different. Ninjago isn't 19th century London is it?"

Reluctantly he agreed. "First spinjitzu master Nya! Fine, turn around then." He almost growled at her. He roughly grabbed the lowest part of her scarlet gown.

He roughly grabbed the lowest part of her scarlet gown and bit into a section of it.

His hunger was guiding his patience, he had been holding off for the best part of a day just to feast on the one he had been trailing for the last few days. "Hehe you know you won't get the deposit back right?" He asked with a small grin.

"Needs must, just do it already." She felt a tug and then heard an almighty rip. She watched with baited breath as Kai seemed to expertly rip the bottom half of her dress, allowing her the flexibility of moving her legs once she had discarded her boned underskirt.

"Finally, free." She pulled her legs up one by one and stretched out ready to climb. "Ugh, whoever invented these awful things for women needs a good talking to in the subject of comfort and flexibility."

"Nya, I really don't think it's meant for comfort, pretty sure it's meant to attract, it's the fashion right?"

She adjusted herself accordingly. "Seriously, next time we go to a costume party don't let me go as villains' love interest."

He half smiled as he looked at the height of the building they were about to climb. "I won't!"

He began scaling the building, climbing onto the first window ledge before offering his hand to Nya. "You coming then?"

She climbed up and followed his lead, copying his footwork. They couldn't afford to fall, although to be fair, Kai had made sure there was no debris to land on. Anything at this height could be construed as a stake if they fell on it awkwardly.

"Come on, it'll be worth it." He smirked and pulled her to the next ledge. At least twelve feet off the ground now, Kai knew what he was looking for. He could see an open window, it was too good to be true.


	12. 1 shade of Gray

"Well, here we are Zane, 'Me Casa e Su Casa'" Cole grinned, removing his arm from his still trembling invisible brother.

"It looks like a hotel of sorts, a manor house within the city of London?"

Cole nodded, "I guess that's just where Dorian lives, ahem I mean myself. Don't know how old the dude is, but…" Cole paused and nodded to the coachmen who had alighted the sleek black carriage. "His picture was painted before 1750 uhm, I think." Cole paused, confused with the new timelines. "Well, I think he's old enough to warrant a house like this."

Zane chuckled slightly, then stopped when he heard himself laughing for the first time. "So you think that judging by your supposed un-dateable picture, that it makes you the oldest now, even older than I?" His hand shot to his stomach and he stared in worry at the ache now residing there.

Cole shook his head, loosely shrugging, "I-I don't know how old I am in this era." He looked across and shook his head slightly. "You really have a lot to learn about human behaviour, Zane."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Humans! Feelings and expressions, that sorta stuff, it's called laughing, you're just using muscles you've never used before." He waited until the carriage came to complete standstill. "Look Zane, it's gonna take time but I'll help you...I promise. Anyway, come on, we're here."

Cole looked apprehensive at the weather. "I really wanna show you around this place, it's huge."

He touched the door handle and looked in Zane's general direction, noting his brother was still clutching his stomach. "It's an ache that accompanies a laugh. You've never laughed before so you're gonna ache like crazy with every new experience. Seriously, there's nothing to worry about unless it's excruciating and then we're screwed."

"Why would we be screwed?"

"Because in Victorian England, the health system is only afforded to those who can pay, and even after all that, the stuff they give you is laced with toxic poison or stupid herbal things that do nothing."

"Then why give it?" Zane queried.

"Because what other choice do people have? I guess it's trial and error in a way, the ones who survive surgery are then at risk of blood poisoning and infection, all gory stuff."

If Zane had a physical face he would have likely been frowning at Cole's reasoning. "How come you already know so much?"

"Lord Henry Wotton, haa you could say he's my mentor on everything bad and wrong with society. He's sorta moulding Dorian Gray into what he's too scared to become himself."

"So he is what is called as living vicariously through you?"

Cole was grinning slightly, "Yep, but it backfires massively. Anyway, we can talk about this inside, once we've got you some more clothes on and uh, we still need to sort out your face."

The invisible man with the blanket on cocked his head to the side. "What is wrong with my face?" He was genuinely curious.

Cole looked askance at his brother, "Really Zane, you're invisible, I can't actually see your face and it's unnerving. You'll get bad publicity if you remain like that and right now we're trying to avoid anything like that if at all possible."

"Just roll with it Zane…" Before he opened the door he bit his tongue again. "By that, I mean just keep calm and let me deal with it."

He opened the carriage door and grimaced at the bleary weather. Remembering his character and the country they resided in. "Typical English weather, blasted rain every day!" He responded quite loudly.

"Come, Zane, let me show you to your room." He shouted into the carriage. "Just go with it yeah? We need to make it look as realistic as possible." He pulled an expression that Zane had never seen before, he figured it meant that Cole was incredibly uncomfortable, verging on awkwardness.

"DORIAN!" A female voice shouted out loudly.

"Crap!" He muttered.

A red haired young woman seemed to run out of the front doors, into the deluge of rain, straight into the startled arms of Cole. His mind had gone blank, he couldn't remember who she was until his housekeeper offered to introduce her.

"Griffin, a pleasure to meet you." He offered his hand but Zane didn't shake it.

Cole quickly stood in front of Zane's near invisible visage, "Ah, sorry Theodore, Griffin does nary appreciate the physical touch… _difficult upbringing you see, most unfortunate circumstances_." He whispered the latter. "Call him Zane, he has a preference to use his given name over his Christian one."

"My apologies, Zane." He turned to face Cole and the same look crossed his face as they all walked into the reception hallway of Dorian's manor house. "Sybil Vane, she arrived unannounced demanding to know of your current whereabouts."

"Oh, _of course!"_ He replied and mentally face palmed. He had just remembered who she was.

Chiding himself, he turned to face the wafer thin girl who was casting mildly disapproving looks at Zane. "Sybil, this is Zane." He said unperturbed by her sudden change of expression as her blue eyes turned to him.

"Zane, this is Sybil Vane." He looked away to hide his blush. "She is my….betrothed."

* * *

A good few hours later once Zane was settled in and both had slept, Cole sat up in his bed and rubbed his face with both hands. He had found himself pressed up against a rather attractive woman. His mind kept going blank, she looked vaguely familiar though with her long curly red hair that graced her hips when she walked.

He soon came to realise, that this was no ordinary woman, she was the main love interest of one 'Dorian Gray', so to avoid rousing suspicion of his strange behaviour and even stranger house guest, Zane, he obliged, somewhat bashfully to her wants and needs.

One thing that annoyed Cole was the undeniable fact that she was quite a needy woman. It was exhausting keeping up with her demands of him, he always had to be near her and if he wasn't she demanded to know where he was.

So when he wasn't liaising with Zane on ways to get their group back together, he would be busy with other intimate things; namely satisfying her needs and keeping her sane of mind.

She was quite the delicate flower, Cole thought that maybe her other partners may have been a bit mean-spirited resulting in her being a complete blubbering wreck whenever something didn't go to plan.

She also seemed more aware of his wandering eyes than he did. It was uncanny how she could do that. Cole almost felt like he could fall in love with her if she wasn't so needy and stuck to him like a limpet most mornings. She was so obsessed with him that she was refusing to look after herself. She resembled a wilting flower and it was steadily getting worse.

The only issue with her ailing health was that she was an actress by trade, her face was what most people saw first. Cole wasn't entirely sure what type of acting though, although he knew it to be Shakespearean, she had never disclosed what theatre, at least not yet.

Cole had seen some rather risqué plays as of late, just to try and weed her out and find out her secret. He had gone to some rather dingy theatres as of late and had seen some real eye opener plays and productions.

When they lived in Ninjago, his father Lou would have called them risqué or maybe even burlesque.

It was such an odd feeling that no female guests were allowed, neither questioned, but they soon found out why!

Indeed, some of the music halls they had visited in London over the past couple of days were the sort of places where only courtesans worked. Cole was partially grateful for the experience, he would have preferred that Lou had told him the truth though rather than finding out himself. His father had mentioned various plays and stage productions, Lou prided himself on knowing most if not all plays and playwrights.

From Burlesque to penny gaffs, straight on through to Shakespearean playwrights and comedies galore with varying degrees of mistiming and slapstick. Cole chastised himself for not taking further notice of his father's mad ramblings. He outwardly cringed at having not listened to him, it would have been beneficial to know of all of this beforehand.


	13. What tangled webs we weave

Lloyd had visited the majority of his patients, some had taken much longer than he had anticipated but after he had eaten a hearty late lunch he was back on the wards. Some of the people he visited were so completely beyond all help, it was cruel to keep them here.

They were as thin as the homeless, as ill too. He was told by the staff who monitored them that some of these patients refused to eat. So it was either force them to eat or watch them slowly starve.

* * *

"And finally, we have Victor Frankenstein." The younger doctor motioned toward the solid iron door.

The secure door was unlocked by a heavy duty iron key and it creaked as Lloyd opened it. "Jay?" He said quietly.

"I'm afraid you have the wrong fellow, my dear doctor." He chuckled to himself and sat up on his bed, observing the two doctors who had wandered into his room.

"Perhaps you should be in here too?" He said with a smirk as his red-lidded eyes flicked up to scrutinise those of Lloyd's.

Lloyd instantly became unsettled at the character in front of him, it had completely taken over his mind. He recomposed himself, "My apologies Mr Frankenstein, may I call you Victor?" He said softly.

"Of course, everybody else does, do they not?"

' _Hmm, answering a question with a question!'_

"They do indeed. Well, Victor, I am here to go over your original admission details and enquire about possible discharge plans for this evening."

That sentence alone made his junior doctor spin his head rapidly as he took in his own notes. "But sir, this patient is deemed a risk to himself."

Lloyd didn't answer, at least not directly. He gave one quick look at Master Cushing and purposely sat on Jay's bed. "Tell me Victor, how are you feeling today?"

Lloyd watched as Jay tried to form a sentence. It was almost as if, during his few days of incarceration he had never been asked such a question.

"I, actually feel tired and like the weight of this world is on my young shoulders."

"There is so much to do and such little time, I need to finish it before he comes back." Jay had started mumbling and shaking his head.

"I-I need to get back and finish it."

"Finish what?" Master Cushing enquired.

"Why, my creation of course!" Came the answer that made the young doctor feel stupid for a split second. The way he had said it made it sound like everyone knew of it.

Jay had replied with an eerie smile. "He doesn't like to be kept waiting, he struggles you see for he cannot control more than one emotion at a time. Patience is not one of his strong suits."

The young doctor was shaking his head. He was happy to write Victor off as a hopeless case. "I implore you to see reason Dr Jekyll. He is surely insane."

"Not really insane, perhaps overly fastidious with his obsessions that so guide his fruitful endeavour for success."

Lloyd turned to look at the junior doctor, "Master Cushing, could you give me a few minutes with him? I wish to perform an in-depth analysis of his mind."

"Of course. You wish for me to wait outside?"

"No my dear doctor, I wish for you to take these patients, we only have two more to see before the end of this day."

"You think me ready to take on my own caseload?"

"Yes."

He turned back to face Jay and listened as the door was closed behind him.

Jay instantly smirked, winking an impossibly blue iris at Lloyd. "So what now?"

Jay had been shackled to a metal post. It left him the opportunity to move from his bed to the nearest toilet and no further. His hair was visibly standing on end because of it.

Lloyd thought it was likely from the fact that Bethlem didn't have a physical lightning rod so it seemed solely attracted to the only thing in the vicinity that had a trace element similar to it.

"How many times have you felt this electrical current?"

"Every time it strikes the building, why?"

Lloyd undid the shackles and bandaged the wrists that showed some minor burns. "I'm getting you out of here, Victor. Do you remember who I am?"

Jay nodded slowly, "Dr Jekyll, you supply me with all the parts that I need."

"Do you know of the other names I go by?"

Jay frowned slightly. "Mr Hyde?" He said it timidly.

"Any others?" Lloyd inquired.

Jay shook his head and bit his cracked and dried lips. "That is all I know, is this a test of sorts?"

Lloyd refused to look into the eyes of his confused brother. "No, it is not a test. Just try and relax."

He pulled his Gladstone bag over and retrieved some spare clothes that Igor had helpfully supplied him with the night before. "Igor gave me these to hand to you, you need to place them quickly otherwise you'll be stuck here for another night."

"Will you afford me some privacy to disrobe?"

"Does it look like I have time to allow for that? No, just get changed and do it quickly, I dare say we are against the clock."

Jay pulled his pitiful gown off and stood in front of Lloyd feeling no embarrassment. It was evident he was trying to make the latter uncomfortable but it wasn't working. "Why do you need to see me in my natural state?" He turned away and grabbed the clean pressed shirt.

Lloyd cocked his head, "As of 9 o'clock, I was your sole physician and as such, I am here to make sure you have no other unexplained injuries." He tapped his sheet and started to write some white lies down on his inpatient plan.

The blonde doctor noted that Jay's body looked otherwise normal, although a little emaciated. His arms were covered in puncture marks and tourniquet bruises, where the staff had left them on for too long.

He tapped his fountain pen gently on the sheet, running through everything he needed. To his annoyance he found he had to write a small excerpt to explain the reasons why this patient should be sent home, he knew it would need to be transcribed at a later date but he didn't really care. He sighed deeply and began, "Just hurry Victor, time is of the essence here."

"Jekyll, Your bedside manner is atrocious." He looked across to his blonde haired friend, watching him intently as he wrote.

It was as if Lloyd could tell he was being watched. He slowly turned his head, staring straight into the wide menacing stare of Jay's. He looked positively insane like he was about to lose it in the most heinous fashion. "You haven't seen my other side, Victor do not tempt me."

"I have actually!" Jay had paused in his purposeful sluggish endeavours. He was really drawing this out by pulling his shirt on slowly, much to Lloyd's increasing frustration. "Why do you do this to yourself?"

"What?"

"Hide behind the weaker man, when the stronger side of you, wants to appear." Jay gave an eerie smile which revealed his stained teeth.

He didn't know what to say to that. There would be no way in hell that Lloyd would ever allow Mr Hyde to taken over, especially considering how unstable that side of him could be. Sure they'd be able to escape this place but the consequences would be catastrophic for both.

"You are a man of the medical profession too, yes?" Lloyd enquired.

Jay was growing frustrated. "I may have trained in it, yes but it does not mean that I have a fondness for the subject." He replied, flicking something dirty from his fingernails. "Why do you ask?"

"You know who I am, Victor. We have more than history together, we have a bond, a physical friendship that surpasses all others."

In a way, Lloyd was pleading for his brother to remember, even a snippet would have been a godsend. He suddenly noticed that Jay had pressure marks around his previously restrained limbs, some looked mildly infected where the skin had broken.

Jay had seemed mildly annoyed with Lloyd as he knelt down to dot some iodine ointment on his minor wounds. "Yes, I know this, but surely it is a working relationship, no?"

Lloyd shook his head slowly but remained steadfast ticking through the discharge sheet. He didn't look at Jay, just passed him another item of clothing to wear.

"What exactly are you trying to say here?" He stood and fastened up his trousers.

"There is a certain protocol that should be followed and adhered to pertaining to certain insane inpatient care." Lloyd uttered clearly.

"Meaning what? Am I due for some new treatment regime? I do not have time for this."

"You realise how risky this is? It needs to look real enough so they do not come looking for you. Otherwise, they will take you by force, once they realise that this whole discharge was a sham. We cannot afford to be tied in with an escape from Bethlem, along with our own issues." Lloyd replied, somewhat flustered with the whole experience.

"I do not understand, Jekyll. You seem to be mumbling somewhat…"

"Victor! This is not just about us anymore, it surpasses all of that now. We have a problem and we need to get you out of here."

"Basta _**JEKYLL! Santo cielo...**_ " Jay screeched in the native Italian tongue of Victor Frankenstein.

It was a loud pained reaction as Lloyd had dragged the comb through and it had caught on a rather large tangled mess of chestnut brown hair.

Jay hastily snatched the comb from Lloyd's grasp and eased the tangled knot out slowly. It was evident to Lloyd that Jay was about to blow.

He chose to do it his way, wetting the comb with a sparse amount of water, he pulled it back through carefully. "Per carita! You think me incapable of self-maintenance too? I assure you, I can do this myself. I am housetrained you realise and not a lowly commoner as you seem to think I am."

Lloyd managed to subdue his smirk and potential laugh. He turned his back swiftly and fastened his Gladstone bag. "Ready to depart?" He said as he stood back and wiped his sweaty brow.

"You would think otherwise, what with the company you _keep_ , Victor!"

Jay's scarred eyebrow rose with the open testing. "I assure you _Jekyll_ , I am no commoner, of that I can be sure." He huffed and pulled his frock coat over his shoulders, saddened to feel that it now seemed slightly too big on his frame.

* * *

A few minutes later was all it took before both men were adequately dressed. Lloyd had taken to using some powder to even out the colour tone on Jay's young face. It had made it less noticeable at least. The man he was successfully breaking out of Bethlem had looked a damn sight worse than death before the powder had been applied. A quick flick through with a comb had Jay looking far more presentable. He looked smart in his dark blue tailored suit, even more dapper when he placed his top hat.

But now and thanks largely to Lloyd, Victor actually looked healthy in his body, it was all a show though. Inside Victor Frankenstein, inside that amazing head of his was Jay and Jay was a literal mess. He couldn't be reached, at all. Lloyd thought it was the result of too much opium, sleepless nights and lack of food, it all blocked the natural inventor in him from surfacing.

The rain had stopped when they stood outside the old brick built hospital. The gate bell at the end of the driveway rang, it alerted the staff within that a new patient was on the way.

Lloyd quickly grabbed Jay's arm and pulled him across to a waiting carriage. He paid the coachmen and spoke clearly. "Hyde Park if you will. I'll pay extra if you can get there within thirty minutes."

Hopping back into the carriage he closed the door as soon as Jay had entered. "We should have some guests awaiting your return Victor. I hope you will not hold it against me for inviting a few close friends of mine."

The carriage slowly moved, Jay looked out of the window but struggled to see much because of the darkness. "What guests exactly?"

"Dorian, Griffin and Igor mostly."

"Dorian, his name piques my interest somewhat, I have a brief recollection of him. Griffin though?" Jay scrunched his nose in confusion. "I know not of him, care to elaborate some more?"

"I am sure you will come to enjoy his company, he is an inventor and scientist, just as you are. But his speciality focusses on the optics and light dispersal properties of such. Quite a remarkable fellow, I'm sure you'll agree when you _**see**_ him."

Lloyd thought it best to say nothing else. Jay still looked thoroughly annoyed at being told he now had houseguests to entertain and see to upon his arrival. He still hadn't told Jay that the houseguests would be staying for a few days as well.

That would have sent the young insane inventor completely over the edge.

Jay's addiction to opiates now warranted the need for continual supervision, at least, until the medication was completely out of his system. That was Lloyd's thinking anyway, along with some choice words from Cole when he had found out about what Bethlem had been plying Jay with during his recuperation.

Now he was faced with not only losing his mind but also withdrawal to boot.

* * *

 **Basta - Enough**

 **Santo cielo - heavens above**


	14. Delayed gratification

"What are we waiting for, Kai?" Nya asked impatiently as she sat in the airy and cobwebbed eaves of the London townhouse.

"We're just waiting, Nya. There's too much movement down there, too many people to take on."

"That wouldn't normally be a problem though, would it? I mean, you said so yourself." She carefully peered down through a gap in the eaves, confused slightly that she could see only two men. "There's only two, Kai."

Kai shook his head, "I know this sounds weird but just because you can't see him, doesn't mean he's not there. I'm telling you Nya, there's three of them here, two more are on their way."

"Are you sure about this? Don't you worry about taking innocent lives?"" Nya asked genuinely. She hadn't eaten for three days and already had begun to lose weight and strength because of her reluctance to bite down on a human. The fact that she was being watched had also quelled her appetite somewhat.

The only light up here was provided by way of the bright electrically charged wires. The bulbs although commercial looking emitted such a bright and warm glow that the light itself snaked through the varying gaps in the floor boards. It gave them both the chance to take in each others appearance.

"It's either kill or be killed, besides this isn't real is it, just a story. Nothing bad ever came of it, and, truth be told, we both need to eat so what choice have we got?"

"We need to find the others, Kai, we should be focussed on that, not getting our fill of some poor unsuspecting soul that just happened to wander into our path."

"But what do we care about one unsuspecting man, he's nothing Nya. It's just one irrelevant man and I promise, as soon as we've had him, we can begin to look for the others."

Nya had noticed that Kai seemed to look incredibly healthy, his eyes were almost burning with fire. There was a hint of red behind the hazel like he had already had his fill, many times before even setting foot in this gloomy city. She hadn't eaten a thing, her stomach was making it painfully obvious that she too needed to eat sooner rather than later.

She looked at his hair and noticed it was largely unkempt with the odd bit of dirt and leaf sticking out at odd intervals. His spikes, normally perfect and on pointe, were looking pitifully limp. It looked like he needed a damn good haircut.

Then her eyes trailed down to his current clothing choice. He was wearing a loosely fitted black frock coat with a blood red cravat and cream coloured shirt. There was a multitude of tears here and there. Coupled with shoes that looked too big, possibly a change of clothes she thought. but didn't ask.

"Who exactly are we waiting for?" She asked, eventually meeting his vibrant yet hungry eyes.

Kai smiled, revealing his canines, they were always ready for the inevitable. Always there in case he needed a quick bite to eat. "You'll find out soon enough."

He looked at her, she looked terrible. Her dress had been ripped whilst she had attempted to hide in the crate and even when he had rescued her, it had torn on her escape of the same. She had been unable to climb or run because her energy was waning. Eventually, Kai had been forced to debone her corset, something so simple had given her a renewed breath and a little more stamina to attempt a risky climb.

"Once we're out of here Nya, we need to get you some new clothes." He mumbled quietly.

"And where exactly are we meant to find the money for that, we have nothing. Don't think they accept our currency here." She said waving her credit card around before tucking it carefully from where she had plucked it from.

"Take a quick look around. This guy is loaded, he lives in this house alone, even his friends are loaded. Not to mention, the other man that arrived with the one _you_ can't see, well, he arrived with his own manned carriage, like fricking Prince Charming. You should have seen the ring he wore."

"But we're not thieves Kai, since when did you feel that we need to stoop that low in order to survive?"

Kai cocked his head to the side, the smile fell from his face. "Since we were dumped here with no possible way to survive without breaking the law in some way. I'm a damned werewolf Nya, you're a fricking vampire, you do the goddamn math here."

His deadly serious tone made Nya aware how serious he was being.

"Shush, you hear that?" Kai suddenly stilled, motioning Nya to keep silent.

Nya had simply shrugged her shoulders but remained silent nonetheless. She thought it odd that her brother had taken a deep breath in and shuddered with pleasure afterwards. Slightly unsettling but she said nothing of it, thinking perhaps it was just a quirk of his character. Just as soon as she had observed this behaviour she noted that he had stood and was making his way to the only window in this attic.

She scurried across to the dusty window to see what had caused a sudden shift. She watched as a further carriage had turned up outside. Kai was at her side, not really taking any interest in the carriage but rather looking longingly at the occupants it held. He sniffed the air again and stifled a howl of appreciation.

Nya could see a fine trickle of drool appear on his chin, the thought of biting into an innocent man was horrific. Something she thought she would never be able to stomach.

"Who is it Kai?" She whispered into his ear, snapping him from his pleasure.

"It's him, the one I've been waiting for." He smirked and watched as the occupants made their way into the house. "God, it smells so good."

It was the man he had been waiting for, it was his blood, it was all he wanted and soon, soon Nya would come to taste it too.

* * *

 **Thanks for the heads up, I have done.**

 **Thanks for the reviews.**


	15. Come on, it'll be fun

"We're waiting for complete and utter silence..." Kai finally speaks, having heard the front door click.

His astute auditory senses can even hear the turning of the key. His olfactory sense easily smells the type of metal key used. Then the sounds of male voices, five of them yet none remotely familiar, except for the one he'd heard the day before. What was his name again? Ah, yes...Igor, another odd name.

"Which means what, exactly?" She sounds exasperated as she talks but it doesn't seem to rile him.

Turning to face her, "ya know, silence. So when they either leave or go to bed." An obvious look on his face, that makes her feel like she's not been paying attention.

Kai was quick to notice that the one who gave off an enticing yet exquisite smell, also smelled a little off. It was a rushed smell. Something that wreaked of soap and rancid water. He wondered where this person had been prior to arriving here.

Nya, shaking her head slightly. This loft space reminds her of Ronin, and his shop in Stixx. If his shop could have been called that, it did resemble a storage loft more than anything.

"When did you last eat?" She asks. Perhaps, she's already asked that question but she struggles to remember.

"Early yesterday morning at a guess, before sunrise anyway." Another deep breath in and a hasty wipe of his drooling maw. "Just before I got to London. I had food to go, meals on wheels ya know?" He smirks at her and in the eerie starlit sky, she can still make out his fangs.

She's confused by him and a little horrified at his black humour. Although it wasn't quite gallows humour. She wouldn't consider their situation as desperate just yet.

"What about you?" Kai asks as he quickly sits on a leather chest. "Have you eaten at all?"

Shaking her head, "I told you already. I couldn't because _he_ was watching me." Her parched lips straining to smile.

Staring up at him. "I could smell the food during the day but either the sun is really strong here or my skin is ridiculously sensitive."

"It's neither, Have you been paying any attention Nya?"

She looks taken aback at his sharp tone. Looking askance at her brother and wondering what is going on in his head, she frowns and looks away.

Again, he looks at her apologetically. Now feeling somewhat remorseful as he notices she will not maintain eye contact. "Sorry Nya, I got dumped in the middle of nowhere. It sorta came naturally to me, in that whatever I am, it took over my mind and body."

"I had no-one to stop me." His shoulders slump, if he had visible hackles, they too would have settled. "I'm sorry for snapping at you."

"So you killed people, without remorse?" She questions, ignoring his apology for fear of making this atmosphere more tense than it already is.

He nods his head and shrugs his shoulders. Leaning back without a care in the world. "Yeah, and I'd do it again...I'm a fricking animal Nya, how else do you explain this shit?"

"Kai, for once can I just talk to my actual brother and not this bloodthirsty creature you've become."

His face scowls at her. A feeling of dread creeps back into the cobwebbed loft space. "I'd thought you'd be more grateful that I took the time to haul your ass up from that crate before it made its voyage to Spain... _Nya_."

Her frown remains but her eyes are narrowed. She won't be bested by her brother, in words, no matter how cruel he becomes. "I am grateful _Kai._ But I don't appreciate the tone nor the new attitude."

Another inhalation and recomposure, she looks into his eyes. "Animal or not you need to listen to what you're saying...You're talking about killing people as if it's nothing."

"Gahh, Nya..." Sitting upright and staring into her almost lifeless eyes. "I've already told you my stance on this. None of this stuff is real, it's our minds playing a trick on us. Those morons at the charity ball obviously spiked our drinks or knocked us out. This isn't real Nya...how could it be?"

Is he really that deluded? She guesses that he's not had any painful experiences yet, unlike her. Nya already knows that pain would snap most out of a dream, even out of unconsciousness, if you knew the right points to apply pressure.

"Pain makes it real Kai, don't you understand that?" She speaks from recent experience.

A particularly nasty exposure at being caught in the sun for only a matter of seconds. It had felt like she had been literally burned by an open flame. "This is real, how else can you explain our predicament?"

" ** _It's a story, Nya._** " He grows visibly frustrated. His head now resting in his hands. "Just a damned story, with nothing real about it."

He catches the downwind of a hideous smell, it literally takes his breath away. The same smell from last night. The smell of death looms in the air and in the cold dark night. But just as soon as he senses it, the smell vanishes as if it was never there.

He realises he hasn't spoken to his sister for some time. Perhaps thinking that maybe small talk would be more appropriate; given her argumentative nature at present. "Nya, there are five floors to this house."

He doesn't wait for her to answer before beginning again. "Five floors, all of which have had clean bedding provided." He can smell the damn starch and laundry detergent because the bicarbonate is making his olfactory senses tingle.

"There's a basement too, a cellar with a secret. I can smell it, smell rotting flesh." His face is expressionless. So deep in thought.

She shudders at his words, but to compared to outside and what she deems as the normal ones, she somehow feels safer here.

"These five are staying the night." He smiles crookedly and it reveals a maw full of deadly ripping teeth. "The one we want..." he pauses and sniffs. "Has been put to bed. He's one floor below."

"Come on Nya, you need to eat too. I tell you what, you can have first dibs and then I'll eat the rest!"

She looks at him and worries. The way he said that, well, it makes her feel like there won't be much left of the poor unsuspecting convalescing man.

Now suddenly the ball is in her court, her dead stomach rumbles. Does she need to eat something to keep the maggots away or is it more than that?

"Come on Nya, we can do this together. You really need to eat!"

She is won over by his smile. She allows the embrace and accepts his guidance from the dark cold loft. "Let's do this." She smiles back.


	16. A bottle of Victor Frankenstein

**Okay, I'll try to stick to a posting schedule...I'll try!**

 **I'll endeavour to update this story on a weekend but only until it catches up with the main Jay story arc.**

* * *

All is quiet on the fourth floor of the black bricked townhouse. The other male occupants have travelled back downstairs. Two had initially remained to tuck the convalescing man into his bed. But now they too have joined the others in the study. Kai can smell what they are doing. They are all partaking in a hot toddy to wile away the hours and the unseasonably cold spring that seems to have befallen Southern England. The awful smell of pipe tobacco floats on the air and it immediately irritates his nose.

It is odd actually, it should have been showing signs of summer but yet there is a thin smattering of frost on the inside of the windows as well as the outside. But this is the Victorian era. Heating the boilers comes at a huge cost. Coke and charcoal are very expensive as is oil. Wood is cheaper, by far but all the trees in London seem to be protected now or very sparse since the great fire of 1666...

Kai manages to open the access hatch. He does it as quietly as he can to avoid rousing suspicion or causing unnecessary trouble. The last thing Kai needs right now is more company.

When the hatch opens fully, it reveals and unfurls a ladder that creaks and groans with the lack of use. Kai cringes at the unwelcome noise, to him it sounds incredibly loud. He thinks the mere sound of it will be enough to cause a mild ruckus but nothing happens.

Kai is still listening intently, the male guests continue to laugh and the teasing male bravado and subsequent banter remains three floors below of the attic.

Kai lowers it gently until it hovers just above the oriental rug.

It was like the owner of this house has taken that into consideration when placing this piece of oriental flooring. Kai thinks that it is due in part to prevent it from scratching the expensive looking rosewood parquet flooring...A nice touch, if a little pompous and of course it really helps with the stealth too.

"Damn ostentatious living right here Nya." He whispers quietly as he assists Nya down onto the fourth floor. He averts his gaze, Nya really is showing too much leg but their situation, for the moment, can't be helped.

She smiles at Kai and nods to show she's listening, she tries and fails to hide the sounds her empty stomach makes.

"Sorry." She mouths, silently.

"This place is filled to the rafters with riches." He leans into her ear and pulls her slowly across the landing. Both sticking to the wall, blending in the shadows as they move.

The candle light barely lights their way so Kai blows each out as he passes. Nya smirks at his behaviour, her stomach begins churning and gurgling.

Its clearly obvious now that she is excited by the prospect, Kai has finally won her over. She is going to give into her desires, into the thirst of bloodlust.

Kai sniffs gently. The scent is so strong, it is coming from the door with the only remaining nightlight lit.

He blows it out and opens the door, motioning Nya to join his side.

Creeping up to the sleeping man in the dark. There is a fleeting sense of familiarity but that is all it is, fleeting.

"Hurry Kai, I can hear movement," Nya states as she quickly closes the door behind them and joins her brother on the bed. She lies next to the sleeping man. Their eyes both unseeing as the fog of hunger blinds them to the heinous evil they are about to commit.

They don't even know it is one of their own.

"The same time?" She asks.

Kai nods, his fangs now protruding, dripping with drool. A literal maw full of ripping canines at his disposal.

Both languidly sink their teeth into his neck on opposite sides.

As Kai expects, the man begins to struggle but he quickly places his hand over the thrashing man. Silencing him with a crushing blow to his diaphragm. The man cringes and squeezes his eyes shut as both brother and sister continue to drink down large gulps.

Neither are given long enough to enjoy their fill. They are soon snapped out of their senseless depravity by a swift blow to their head with a rather brutal baton.

Cole still can't understand why Victor sleeps with a baton in his bedroom, well, he can now. He struggles to understand why this evil mastermind has a penchant for attracting the strange ones.

It's only been a few days since they had arrived here and already a monster had graced the steps, although graced wasn't really a term that suited the monster. It just broke in whenever it wanted. And now, well...A fricking werewolf hybrid and a bloodthirsty vampire.

"Guys, quick, get up here now!" Cole booms as he fights to stem the blood loss from Jay's carotid veins.

He straddles Jay's body and grabs the white cotton bed sheets. He presses hard onto either side of Jay's neck. "Thank God they didn't go for your arteries eh bro?" He soothes as he holds the wounds firm. Remembering from his lessons of basic first aid...'not too hard because you don't want to completely cut the area off of blood.'

Igor is the first one to arrive. He sees nothing but a bloody mess with two sprawled bodies laying haphazardly at the side of the bed. His blood runs almost as cold as the two walking dead creatures.

"These are creatures of the night Dorian. We are not safe while they are here."

Cole doesn't look at them. His concerned face is staring into Jay's terrified blue eyes. "It's okay Jay just breathe." His hands still remain firmly pressing against Jay's neck.

His mind suddenly remembers what Lloyd uttered ' _Something happened Cole, he doesn't know who he is'_

"Breathe Victor, please!"

"LLOYD, ZANE GET UP HERE NOW!" He shouts again. Cole is immensely relieved at hearing fast footsteps approaching. They are nearing his location but not fast enough for his liking. Their footfalls are heard running across the wooden floor.

Lloyd skids into the room first, he quickly joins Cole's side when he sees the bloody sheet. "How did you know?" He asks, as he gasps for breath. He's visibly worn out, having just traversed four flights of stairs.

"Intuition, I don't know. Something felt off, what can I say?" He looks flustered as he cautiously removes the cloth from the side of Jay's neck grateful that the blood flow has stopped.

Zane is bent down at the level of the unconscious intruders. But no one can see him. This fact is exacerbated when Igor trips over him backwards. "Oooof, s-sorry."

"No, please accept my apologies, Igor, it was thoughtless of me." No one can see him because he is still largely invisible having removed his outer attire. He still helps the stunned younger man to stand before placing his top coat and kneeling at the intruders level.

Cole shakes his head because it means that under Zane's coat, he is largely naked. It also means that Cole may have to remind Zane about the importance of wearing additional clothes. "What are you doing Zane?" He asks with a shaken voice as he turns his head slightly.

Zane is securing both intruders with some oil infused twine he's managed to source from the unburnt oil burners in the hallway. "These two are very familiar, I am sure you will find."

Lloyd removes the blood soaked sheet from the opposite side of Jay's neck. "Thank god it wasn't a full moon." He hisses, mostly to himself but Cole hears it too and shivers with the 'what ifs.' "Who ya got there Zane?"

"Kai and Nya." He replies quickly and without a doubt. He looks up but neither Cole, Igor or Lloyd can see his expression.

Cole shakes his head, letting out a breathless chuckle "Whoa, really?"

Zane nods but it's useless. Cole still can't see it. "Zane you need to verbalise your answers until we can get hold of some concealer. At least then we'll be able to see your face!"

"I apologise, it is indeed Kai and Nya."

Cole rubs his temples, "Well, at least we're back together now." His voice is still shaking and cracked with emotion. The adrenaline is still surging through his aged system and he wonders what his picture looks like at the exact moment in time.

"What should we do with them?" Igor was quick to ask. It was obvious that he is uncomfortable with having nightcrawlers in the same house he sleeps in.

Lloyd takes one look at Cole, before looking at Jay who still hasn't blinked in almost five minutes thanks in part to shock. "Tie them up and put them in the freezer. Cole, you need to help, because Jay's going into a form of shock and he needs something to snap him out of it."

"What can we use, Igor what have you got?" Lloyd barks. He doesn't mean to but needs must.

Igor shakily retrieves a small blue stoppered bottle. The label is barely visible. "Smelling salts." He passes it across and Lloyd quickly places the ammonia salts under his nose and then Jay's. "BREATHE DAMMIT!"

"Have you got Wolfsbane?" Lloyd shouts, panicking.

Igor nods "It is a poisonous flower, only meant to maintain the mental faculties of those affected by lycanthropy."

"Then the smallest amount you can give...please Igor, HURRY!"

Igor needs no further orders, he runs out of the darkness and down past Cole and Zane who are both heaving the unconscious intruders down onto the second floor.


	17. 2 shades of Gray and one shade of red

Lloyd is running out of options and raises his hand. He holds it in the air across his body. Then one second later and no more, he swipes it hard and fast across Victor's face. It echoes mercilessly across the room, bouncing off each wall like the sound of a belly flop from an unfortunate swimmer who doesn't know how to use the high board.

The backhanded slap has the desired outcome, aside from the rather nasty looking welt.

Immediately, Victor's blue eyes flutter open in shock.

The air is filling his lungs rapidly as Lloyd climbs off having slapped him hard. But Victor, known as Jay to Lloyd is still gasping for breath.

"Che Diavolo?" Jay gasps out. His hands quickly reach up to his neck in alarm.

He looks up at Lloyd angrily, drawing his eyes back to the bloody sheets surrounding him. "Va tutto bene." "VA TUTTO BENE!"

Lloyd shakes his head. "Victor I _do not_ speak Italian. _Please, you must_ calm down."

Shrugging his shoulders loosely, Jay's face drops. "Figurati!"

Lloyd continues to frown at Jay who has now slipped into Victor's native Italian dialect. He assumes it's a stress response but right now Jay or rather Victor cannot be consoled. He's in his own world of pain and confusion. His hand occasionally going back up to grasp at his bruised neck as Igor continually dabs some extract of wolfsbane on the side that the wolf had bitten.

Lloyd notices that Jay has a visible shake, more so than he did at Bethlem Hospital. He knows it could be one of two possible things. An addiction to morphine opiate, which he is being currently weaned off, or the after effects of being the victim of an unprovoked attack as he was sleeping.

Neither of which are good for his current mental state. But at least he wasn't downright startled by the appearance of so many faces when it _had_ happened.

Lloyd made it so, that when they arrived back here that Victor was introduced to each and every one of his new house guests, of which there were only two additional ones, one of which was invisible.

"Victor, Sir?" Igor soothes but receives a blank stare in response. A fleeting look of sympathy from Lloyd. Igor is excused from the room as Lloyd attempts to console.

"Victor…" Lloyd speaks quietly, gently. "It is fine. We took care of both of them." He soothes and attempts to calm but Jay flinches away.

He doesn't approach again, he remains a few feet away. But he knows he can't leave Jay like this. "We have locked them away. At least, until we can find out why they were here."

He lies on purpose. He knows why they are here and it chills him to the core to think that they were both so blinded by hunger that they could have ended their own brother's life this night.

But, now that they are here, it gives him and his other brothers a chance to find answers and there will be no one leaving this house this night, not until tabs can be kept on everyone.

"Uno de loro…" He pauses and looks back at Lloyd with a small imperceptible grin. "Era una ragazza!"

Lloyd notices the hint of a smile, and the slight flush on his brothers face. But he's still completely baffled by the language. "Uh, I guess…Maybe…Victor, in English, _please_."

He takes a deep shuddering breath "I-I apologise Jekyll, I-I do not know what came over me."

Lloyd laughed a little. "Well, I can tell you what sunk into you, if that helps?"

Victor shakes his head at Jekyll's humour, he doesn't rise to it, normally he would have rolled his eyes or chortled to himself. "One was a girl, I knew that much…She bit down quite gently, it would seem. But the other..." He shuddered and looked scared for the second time this night.

"But the other winded me and his bite hurt." He stretches out and winces when he looks at his bruised stomach.

"These sheets were a wedding gift, you know. When I married my dearest Elizabeth? A dowry of sorts, haa, what parent gives a gift that is meant for the consummation of marriage?" He laughs at himself perversely then huffs and gets out of his bed.

Victor stalks to the window with his blood stained bedclothes. He looks like he's had a cut throat shave and the barber has nicked the main vein.

He stares wistfully out of the open window, leaning so far out that Lloyd thinks he's about to jump.

"Victor?" Lloyd calls nervously.

Victor spins around quickly and allows the black transom to slam shut behind him. The glass thankfully doesn't shatter, but the sound is almost enough to bring about a sudden change in Lloyd's persona. He clicks his neck in a vain attempt to calm down Mr Hyde, who seems to want to make an appearance.

The crooked smile is evil in intent, Jay approaches slowly, his posture threatening. "You should have just left me in Bethlem, Jekyll." Jay hisses. His eyes are bloodshot and malicious.

He uses his hands to emphasise his point, "I was just finding out about where they send their dead. I was this close, THIS CLOSE JEKYLL!"

"I did you a favour Victor, you were about to be tested upon, is that what you wanted?"

He almost spits the words at Lloyd as he stands nose to nose with the blonde man. "Cazzata!"

Lloyd narrowed his eyes again. " _In English?"_ He almost wishes he hadn't asked.

" _Bullshit!"_ Victor states with a smirk. "If anything they already did that."

Lloyd looks startled at the revelation that Bethlem would do that. His alter ego knows that they would but didn't think they would do it so early on. He wonders if that treatment has exacerbated Jay's retrograde amnesia.

He realises that Jay is still talking, albeit as Victor. Although what Lloyd would give to hear _Jay_ talking rather that this madman whom currently resides in his body and mind. He swears he would never say that normally but this was just odd, Jay was never this nasty, or evil or unstable.

"It did nary work, gave one a little buzz but nothing out of the ordinary, I might add but I was not written up for any other procedure." He is still shaking his head vehemently. His eyes still bright blue yet bloodshot and hurt.

His rage is unmatched by almost none, save for his monstrous creation,

"You sir, are _lying_." He hisses under his breath, glaring fiercely at the blonde man in his bed chamber.

Backing away slowly, his eyes remain glued to Lloyd's. " _Arroganza_ …" He mutters and stumbles out into the hallway. "ARROGANZA!"

Steadying his stance, Victor struggles to focus on the dark staircase before him as all the lights are out on this floor. Tears fill his eyes and he takes his first step.

He typically misjudges the first few steps, as he slips on a steady trail of blood which someone has very kindly left.

He only slips down ten of the steps and shouts loudly in Italian, cursing profanities at the stairs in the process. The expletives that spew forth makes Igor blush. Cole, Zane and Lloyd are mystified by his odd behaviour, they still rush to his aid.

"Fanculo!" He sits at the bottom of the flight of stairs and sobs in frustration. "Why me Jekyll?" He still flinches at Lloyd's touch.

Cole is largely unsure of what to say but is at his side in an instant. His arm naturally consoles and this time Jay doesn't flinch or shy away. He leans into Cole's embrace and allows the brief moment to last way longer than it should. "Thank you Dorian,"

Dorian is quick to nod at Lloyd, Igor and Zane. "I will take it from here."

Victor's mouth comes within a hairs breadth of Cole's neck and he shivers with the proximity. The warmth of Victor's breath ghosts across Cole's skin and awakens something in Dorian Gray, that sends a heat to his stomach and further afield. "You are most welcome, Victor."

"Thank you." His hands remain wrapped around his own legs but Cole's hands remain on the small of Victor's back. Rubbing circles and soothing as he talks.

Dorian knows that it would be so easy to take advantage of Victor in this state. So easy to render that wonderous mind into a supple mass of heaving and gasping lust, that would scream his name and his alone.

Indeed, it was something that Cole had only ever thought of but had never had the courage to even contemplate but with Dorian's forward nature and over indulgence of all things morally reprehensible, it could possibly come to fruition.

"Do you trust me, Victor?" Cole whispers into his ear. His grip tightening on the smaller man's waist, pulling him closer still.

Victor looks up into Cole's big brown eyes and feels a flutter of nerves. "In time I will come to. I have no reason not to, as yet but then not reason to trust either."

"But you will come to trust me, yes?" His predatory voice, speaking roughly into Victor's ears.

"I will, in time." He repeats softly and looks down at Lloyd and Zane who are busying themselves with arranging the bedding for the night on the lower floors.

Dorian removes his hand and digs back through his waistcoat, retrieving a small sheet of parchment. "When you are fully recovered you must simply come and visit. I do not live that far from here."

He places the card into Victors' hand and watches as Victor's pupils begin to dilate.

Dorian or Cole, as he was adamant that he should be called, was wondering if this sign was a hint of memory, or possibly attraction. Maybe even the medication still running through Victor's young system.

But it was the ideal opportunity, so forward with his thinking, so bold and unquestioned by his other brothers. He would do this slowly, build up the possible truth and let it flourish from there. Regardless of how Victor currently felt, the man was chronically single.

According to Igor, Victor had not had female company for many months. He seemed to favour either, as of late.

"I-I should, perhaps when I am better?"

Cole nods at Victor's naivety, the crude smirk remaining on his face as his next conquest was so close to being etched onto his bed post.

He gently lifts Victor to an upright stance, motioning him downstairs to the next few floors. "Shall we?"

Victor stumbles again but holds firm, like a frail old man. "Should I?"

It was evident by Victor's unsteady walk that he was still in need of some alcohol, a strong aperitif. Perhaps something to remove the hand shaped welt across his pale faced features too and maybe to ease the shakes that wracked Victor's body with each shuddering breath.

"Come Victor, you need a strong drink and I have just the thing."

Dorian had suddenly taken over from Cole. Whatever had happened in those few minutes had quickly started a chain reaction. It was as if a part of Cole had spurned on his overly confident alter ego to do what his normal side would have been too shy to even consider.

Now Dorian, after winking at Igor and Lloyd was leading Jay down the stairs. The dark haired man wasn't planning on causing pain, far from it. No, Dorian had only ever been shown how to cause pleasure...and that was all in thanks to Sir Henry Wootton. Dorian was, for want of a better word, Sir Henry's prodigal son.

The old man, being unhappy in his own marriage, had shaped Dorian into what he had desired in a younger man...what he wanted to become but lacked the courage to do. Instead, Sir henry taught all he knew and he chose the only good looking naïve boy who had caught his eye.

Dorian, very casually sat next to Jay. He offered some freshly poured brandy, some from his own home cellar. Passing it gently, he clincked the glasses gently. "Drink Victor, you'll feel so much better, I promise."

There was that sudden hint of a cheeky smile. The type of smile that got Dorian exactly what he wanted.

Cole was struggling to come back from this, he looked lustfully at his brother, who at this exact moment didn't even know who he was. Dorian, however, wanted Victor to relax. He needed him to feel comfortable with the close proximity.

This would need to be done slowly, delicately but what a prime opportunity, being as Cole's mind was so easy to sway and Jay's mind wasn't even there.

 _'That's it, just ease into it.'_

Dorian smirks and cups Victor's face. He gives him a stiff drink and allows him to take more than is necessary.

"You can trust me Victor, I will never hurt you….ever!"

Dorian pulls Victor closer still, so close he can feel Victor's heart racing.

* * *

 **Arroganza - Arrogance**

 **Che diavolo – What the Hell**

 **Cazzata – Bullshit**

 **Era una ragazza – She was a girl**

 **Fanculo – Fu? uh, it's an expletive (the F bomb)**

 **Figurati - Figures**

 **Uno di loro – One of them**

 **Va tutto bene – It's all right**


	18. Insanity tastes so good

Dorian pulls Victor closer still, so close he can feel Victor's heart racing.

His lips perilously close to Victor's neck. He frowns when Victor submits so easily. It's like he's given up the fight, the spark is barely there.

His tongue gently traced across Victor's pulse point and he felt Victor strain in his firm grasp. His eyes saddened at the horrendous bruises and the odd tinge of purple thanks to the Wolfsbane essence.

"Relax, Victor…" His husky voice orders. "I shall not hurt you."

His heavily lidded eyes close slowly, as he shifts his position slightly so that Victor is leaning back. Dorian leans over him and uses his hands to soothe the tense bundle of muscles underneath him. "Slowly….Now, look at me."

The blue eyed man struggles to gather his bearings. His breathing is calming. He knows that Dorian will not bite him, He lacks the correct equipment, unlike the two previous intruders both who had pointed canines. But then he can't seem to stop what is happening. To the mad and impossibly young inventor, this is a mixture of one too many things for him to even attempt to understand how good this actually feels.

"Victor?" Dorian calls softly. His eyes are so dark as he speaks with a deep growl. "You can trust me, implicitly." His lips press as gently as he can bear onto Victor's sculpted jaw.

"I can?" Victor replies breathlessly. He doesn't even attempt to hide the moan that spills from his lips, nor the slew of absurdities that follow with each teasing movement.

"Mmm, Dorian." His hand stops Dorians' from wandering further. " _ **DON'T**_ " Victor's warning seems very husky, dark and masculine. The sound of that order only spurns him on and Cole growls in response.

"So long has it been, since you have had this, Victor?" Dorian growls and places his hand in a very provocative place. He watches as Victor moves with him. "Good?"

Dorian stares lustfully at the juncture of Jay's neck and feels his shy alter ego moaning in anticipated pleasure with what he is currently doing. Again, so bold with his wandering hands that Victor has become warmed putty in his grasp.

Victor was completely at Dorian's whim, it was so obscene it was sinfully blasphemous.

"It, it was so long ago Dorian…" He replied breathlessly. "But I-I loved Elizabeth dearly."

It was sinful what Dorian was doing but Victor was not putting any stop to it. Dorian kissed him gently. "You like this?"

 _'Jay, please say yes...'_

Victor's senses were so completely numbed and ensnared that he was unable to protest, he nodded, in embarrassment mostly.

But that was just how Dorian liked it. And so, he continued. "This part of you likes it too?" He smirked and watched as Victor's eyes snapped shut in concentration. His grip so tight on the leather couch.

Their lips locked in a passionate kiss that was born of need and lust. And for that moment, it was so perfect. Victor was so sweet and enticing, intoxicating, innocent almost.

Dorian wanted more, he needed it. One could say that Cole told him and gave him the go ahead. Cole was surrounded by intense flames that only served to need Jay more. _'Do it...slowly. That's it.'_

To Dorian, Victor or Jay as he should have been known by now was exquisite. There was no other word for him. There was just the smallest hint of musk about his person, a natural aroma.

Victor's heavily lidded eyes were burning with just as much passion. Although most of that was induced by Dorian's forward nature at getting what he wanted.

Dorian had broken the kiss first. His wandering hand had come to rest on Victor's chest. "You taste divine, Victor. Exquisite, I must have more." He growled and felt the man shudder with his touch and tongue.

The auburn haired man was panting. He struggled to form his words Italian or not. He was speechless. "Dorian, I-I." He bit his bottom lip and moaned his appreciation into the black haired man's mouth. So all consumed with him, he stopped trying to understand what was happening and allowed himself to fall further into the madness of his own nightmares.

Cole was coming undone at the seams. He was in his own world of euphoria and Dorian, well. Dorian was past all caring now.

This had gone much further than he had anticipated. He had no idea just how lonely Victor was, or how long he stayed locked away here. How long after Elizabeth had he sought companionship?

The sounds Victor was making was far better than Sybil could ever give him. But the sound of the door opening halted their heated passion.

 _'God, so good.'_

* * *

It stopped so abruptly that both would have flown through the window screen head first as the emergency brakes were put on. Dorian would have gotten so much further had the blonde bimbo not just walked in during the starting act.

Lloyd walked in, interrupting the both of them as the panting and sweating mass of sin before him quickly stopped in their frenetic movements before the real fun could begin.

The sudden and swift intrusion was quick to simmer the burning fire that Dorian felt, it brought Cole's pleasured senses to a screeching halt.

Victor's lips were kiss swollen, Dorian's weren't much better either.

" **DORIAN?"**

Lloyd was shocked, he raised an eyebrow in suspicion. It looked like it was held up with an invisible string. A knowing and questioning expression etched on Lloyd's ticked off face. He had seen plenty to know what the both of them were doing, or were about to do and he wasn't best pleased about it.

Not to mention, even if Dorian was about to lie, the sight that befell his eyes would be proof enough. Victor was only wearing his nightgown and whatever they had both been doing was proving a quite literal point, in his nightgown.

Lloyd wasn't a prude, far from it. The previous master of energy had relationships before but now really wasn't the time.

He also knew how delicate Victor's mind was right at this moment.

"Was I interrupting something?" Lloyd's sharp voice cut through the simmering heat that both Dorian and Victor were still feeling.

It snapped the hidden alter ego of Cole back to attention immediately. And he recoiled his arms so quickly that Jay had fallen to the floor with a thud. "Damn, sorry Jay."

" **DORIAN?** " Lloyd snapped loudly at Cole's forgetful use of Jay's name, forgoing the alter ego _. "God's sake man."_ He muttered under his breath.

"I did not get him out of Bedlam so you can screw him into the nineteenth century."

He blushed heavily at Hyde's bossy and oppressive demeanour, "Uh V-Victor, I am sorry." Cole stammered and helped his younger brother to sit again.

Cole was getting more ticked off by the second. "It's not a big secret, is it? He's not even with her anymore is he?"

"I don't give a crap about Nya, Cole….I care about his state of mind like you should be." Lloyd hissed in Cole's face.

" **LOOK AT HIM.** That isn't normal. He's completely out of it. He's losing the plot Cole, we're losing him to Frankenstein." He released a gentle laugh that made Cole shudder at the lack of humour behind it.

Cole shook his head, it couldn't be real….none of this was real.

He was so close to starting a relationship with his best friend. Something they had both been denying for so long. He looked at Victor's face too and there it was. That spark was barely there anymore. Jay was trapped in those blue viridian depths. "That's insane Lloyd, what you're saying is insane."

"IS IT? _Is it Cole?_ " Lloyd grabbed Cole's face none too gently. "THAT'S insane, right there….that in front of you is insanity." He had forced Cole to stare into Victor's evil bloodshot eyes.

Lloyd for the third time this day was worried again for Jay. Victor's eyes were giving off a smiling yet glassy eyed stare. He was completely lost in there, so totally out of it. Victor looked like he'd had some form of complete mental breakdown. He had, he was going insane.

"This is going to take some time to explain, Dorian. Or is it Cole, I'm speaking to now?"

Cole shuffled uncomfortably on the black buttoned Chesterfield sofa. "Cole." He answered quietly.

Lloyd cracked his neck and then his knuckles. "Can you explain?"

He was annoyed more than anything. Lloyd wasn't a father figure. Even in this time and place. If anything Dorian was older than all of them combined. His hideously disfigured painting could attest to that.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me." He looked to his side at Jay and blushed crimson. Jay was so strung out, he was smiling with an afterglow. Not even caring that his face was covered in shiny trails of Dorian's love tokens.

Lloyd stiffened, his voice became deeper, he slouched his posture. The gentle features were replaced by a grim, stern and weathered expression. His malachite green eyes were so dark they were verging on forest green. " _ **Do not touch him again Dorian,**_ _Or I'll break every damn bone in your body and then burn your precious picture_." He quickly approached the half inebriated men and sneered derisively at Cole.

Cole recoiled slightly but said nothing in response to Mr Hyde. His alter ego knew not to argue with the lunatic who resided within Dr Jekyll's head.

Lloyd had quickly pushed Cole aside and had none too gently hoisted Victor up and over his shoulder in a fireman lift. "The two nightcrawlers have woken." He stated devoid of any emotion. "You and Zane can give them the low down on this shit heap." His voice gruff and edged with disgust. "Be gentle with the wolf."

Cole stood and readjusted his untucked shirt and unbuttoned waistcoat. "But….What?" He raised an eyebrow at the wolf statement but was cut off rudely.

"I don't give a _shit_ how long it takes, Dorian. Just _do_ _it_." He hissed and walked out into the ground floor hallway. "Remember who it is you're dealing with?"

Turning quickly on his heels and narrowly missing Jay's head on the doorframe. "One more thing Dorian, stay away from Victor or I swear to God…" His eyes darkened by the second. He was trying his hardest not to snap at Cole. But the longer he remained in such proximity the more likely it would be to happen.

He walked away and back up the stairs. Victor was protesting the carry and he dreamily smiled at Cole in response.

Teasingly licking his lips. Savouring Dorian's sweet taste and searing it into his memory. "In time, good things come to those who wait." He whispered and shot a cocky smirk at the dark haired male.

Cole now back in his own head was standing mouth agape at the foot of the stairs. Victor wanted him, that much was clear. The only obstacle standing in their way was a brute of a man. And neither wanted to get onto his bad side.

Dorian already had tonight and Cole now needed a cold shower and a plan to finish what they had both started.

Although what Lloyd had mentioned was tugging incessantly at his heart. He didn't want to lose Jay at all.

* * *

 **Make your own mind up about what they were doing...**

 **Pour your sugar on me. DL**


	19. Repentance

Cole was in half a mind to retreat back to his own stately home this night.

Thinking that perhaps he could freshen up or use Sybil to rid his body of some very unclean thoughts. He knew that if he went back tonight he'd take her like he would want to take Victor. And Sybil, bless her heart, wasn't that type of loose woman, she'd never allow Dorian to take her like _that_.

If he was brutally honest with himself, he didn't want to be bossed around by Lloyd, of all people and he certainly didn't want to do his bidding either. If anything he wanted to privately reflect on what had just happened. Then maybe contrast and compare with his picture, now since having claimed Victor as his own.

He wondered how much of a smirk his portrait would be revealing at this current moment. Maybe it would be telling the future too, like it often did. Perhaps it could give him a glimpse of just what to expect at their next meeting...some ideas of seduction, he could only hope.

The black haired man had walked begrudgingly into their shared bedchambers for the night.

The oil lamps were still lit on this floor and it cast a faint warming yellow glow on the wall where Cole stood. He narrowed his eyes and shone the hand held oil lamp into the darkened room. His eyes slowly settling on the other four poster single oak bed. The eiderdown and bedspread were pulled up and over the seemingly headless man as he slept peacefully.

Cole smiled, albeit nervously from the doorway.

Zane's visage was much easier to see when he was still and sleeping. Not just that, but the former nindroid could be heard breathing naturally and not mechanically.

He placed the oil lamp on the nightstand and approached the bed. Cole was quick to whip the feather filled eiderdown off, thereby removing Zane's covers in one fell swoop. He quickly threw a housecoat on the semi invisible form and muttered none too quietly at the man who was slowly stirring from his slumber. "ZANE, you need to get up... _now_. We need to see to something."

He gently grabbed the half invisible man from his bed and had hauled him down to the basement door.

Cole was pleasantly surprised that Zane was not fighting at all, in fact by the second brick step of the basement, Zane had woken sufficiently to control his own feet and he shifted his weight accordingly.

"Thank you Cole, for the _strange_ way of waking me," he mumbled groggily, "Though, I accede, maybe I would have preferred some light refreshments, as you have had me become accustomed to."

Cole, forgiving of Zane's odd archaic language was just eager to get this task done. "Sorry, Zane. I was kinda put up to this. Wasn't my choice ya know."

Cole was astonished with Zane. The former nindroid had slept a solid twelve hours the night before at Dorian's overly ostentatious home and he was still yawning now.

"Look, Lloyd's in a foul mood, he kinda ordered me to do it like this. Well, not _exactly_ like _this_ but uh...anyway!" He huffed and shoved the large lever aside. "It was something about Kai and Nya being awake now?" He gave half a truth yet purposefully avoided the rest of that conversation.

It was only going to be between him and Victor now. Not even Lloyd would know about it after tonight.

Zane didn't really miss anything. He was quick to catch on sometimes and would, in his titanium days; have figured out what was troubling his brothers in a mechanical heartbeat. "I can only guess it was something to do with Jay?" He stated with an audibly loud and protesting yawn. "And yes, they have woken, but I was expecting Lloyd's help." He stated and raised his blonde eyebrow.

Cole couldn't see his face, nor his expression but he blushed at the mention of Jay's name and said nothing in relation to it, if anything he shrugged it off instead. "Yet you fell asleep?"

Zane thought his behaviour odd but said nothing on it. Sometimes he missed his old body. It was so in tune with human emotion and elevated oxytocin levels and if he didn't know better, he was sure that Cole was keeping something very recent and very personal to himself because the simple utterance of Jay's name had him blushing like a tomato. "I was tired, _Cole_." He harrumphed and yawned again.

"How can you still be tired, you slept for almost half a day, yesterday?" Cole replied to the sarcastic retort thrown his way.

Zane's housecoat covered arms stretched almost ceiling high. Momentarily rubbing through his invisible hair, "Hmm, how can I still be tired? Let me count the ways, _Cole_. Homeostasis, peristalsis, cardiovascular processes, hormone creation, DNA replication….."

Cole raised his hands in defeat, "Okay, okay…..I get it Zane, not really an excuse though." Shaking his head in frustration.

Zane had narrowed his eyes, not that Cole could see his annoyed gaze. "It is exhausting, you have no idea what it feels like to have it thrust upon you."

"Obviously," Cole replied in annoyance, biting his tongue from sniping back. ' _Because we do it naturally. So we take it in our stride.'_

"Is there something you wish to divulge, about….Jay?" Zane asked quietly, whilst he had got the master of earth to himself.

"No, j-just glad to have Zaptrap back with us. W-why do you ask?" He stuttered nervously with his back still against the freezer door.

Zane couldn't be seen apart from his relaxed stance. He had his hands on his hips, that much was clear. The face, again, _wasn't_. "Anything….else, feelings?"

Cole said nothing in response, he already felt like he'd said too much.

He subconsciously licked his lips and could still taste Victor upon them. He could still smell Victor on his shirt, taste the very essence of him on his fingers. He placed one in his mouth sinfully, and it lingered in his mouth for longer than was necessary. His scent, his manly aroma. So good, so damned good.

 _'That's it Victor, just relax. It feels good when I do this?'_

 _'Dorian, please...I need to...I'm...Dio mio...'_

 _'So shy with your wants and needs...You are usually so loquacious with your mouth Victor, yet right now you moan my name in pleasure...when I do this? exquisite!'_

 _'Gently...mmmph DIO.'_

 _'You shall know that I mean you no harm...at all.'_

 _'Così buono! mmmmmph, si...'_

 _'Mmm...you are a man of good taste, Victor...'_

* * *

 **"** _ **Cole?"**_

Cole hurriedly cleared his throat at the urgent mention of his name.

He quickly loosened a few ivory buttons in response to that memory and tugged at his shirt rapidly in an attempt to get as much cool air onto his chest as possible. "Uhm, sorry. Uh, L-Lloyd's gone to cool off, I-I think I might have sent him over the e-edge," he said quietly, his voice straining slightly.

He was keeping his foot firmly placed against the bottom of the door so it could be opened slowly.

He wished he could go and cool off. Perhaps had he been allowed to finish what they had started, he wouldn't feel the need to cool down. It would have come naturally.

"You zoned out for a few moments there, are you sure you are okay?" Zane asked, a hint of concern behind those quietly sincere words.

Cole took a deep breath, calming his nerves at what he was about to see and what he had already experienced tonight. "I'm fine Zane, seriously."

Both men placed their ears to the freezer door, hearing a low disgruntled mumbling coming from within. "You ready for this, in case they try to escape?"

"I believe we can try and besides, they will not get far if we manage to tell them what they need to know in a timely manner."

Cole nodded, "On three then?"

Zane nodded.

"Zane, you need to verbalise, I can't see you remember?"

Zane grimaced, "I am sorry Cole. On three or shall we count down to one?"

Cole frowned at his invisible brother. This had never been a problem before, because it was just a simple count up. "What? Look Zane, one, two three, yeah?"

Again the former master of ice nodded nervously.

"Zane?"

He cleared his throat, "Sorry, force of habit….although, I accede, I have not formed any habits since I have been here."

Cole cocked his head from his position next to Zane as both steadied their feet. "Give it time and I'm sure you'll find more than one."

"One, two, three." Cole said clearly and both proceeded to open the reinforced metal door.

The sight that befell Cole and Zane was that of a half frozen man and scantily clad half frozen female. She was showing far more thigh than Dorian had seen on a woman who was still clothed in a night slip. Her clothing instantly reminded him of the more risqué shows he had seen; no more than two nights ago.

Cole looked carefully at both Kai and Nya as they sat. Neither elemental sibling was moving nor saying much but they had turned to face Cole and Zane with the most horrendously crazed grin possible. Their teeth were still blood stained as if they had been slowly savouring the taste.

Cole shuddered uneasily, his foot remained firm against the door, keeping it ajar just enough to allow them the chance to communicate.

The next thing Cole noticed was that their eyes were no longer blood red but more a natural subdued tone of amber and brown, respectively.

Finally, he was well aware that both nightcrawler had successfully wriggled out of the oil infused twine that Zane had previously used to bind them from doing further harm.

"Kai?" Cole greeted with a derisive tone.

The same questioning tone and untrusting gaze was cast to the one who wore red. "Nya?"

Cole was quick to cast an evil grin at the half frozen duo. "I see you finally made it to Casa Frankenstein then? Only took you, _what_...three days to find this place and grace us with your lack of self-control." He said, chastising both.

Kai growled, he actually growled at Cole whilst baring the smallest hint of elongated canine as a test.

"What was that _Kai_? An _apology_?" Cole hissed, unperturbed by the visible show of animal aggression.

He simply smirked at the petulant show and carried on with his angry yet subdued tirade. "Although, the initial reception could have been better. You could've knocked on the damn door, ya know like _normal_ people do!"

" _Who invites a nightcrawler over the threshold willingly, moron…"_ Kai mumbled.

Cole frowned and neared the wolf. "Excuse me?"

Kai span his head around so quickly and his eyes locked with Cole's immediately. He was standing and moving faster than Cole or Zane had anticipated and before he knew it Kai had viciously slashed Cole across his face.

The master of earth shrieked in pain, recoiling from Kai before collapsing to his knees. He was now leaning his back against the door. Breathing heavily in wet gasping breaths.

"Shit…."

Four deep gouges, so very deep and Zane gasped in horror as the few droplets that had sprayed forth were now plastered on his face too.

He did the first thing that came naturally while Cole cradled his precious face. Zane sucker punched the unsuspecting wolf boy and watched as the spiky haired man began his swift descent to the floor.

Zane shook the punch out, grateful that Kai nor Nya could see how much pain that simple blow had caused. He knew the pain in his clenched fist was caused by bone hitting bone. But having never experienced this before, he realised he may need to do some urgent reconditioning. They all would at some stage, especially if they were due to fight for their lives any time soon.

Zane had watched it unfold. The former master of fire had landed hard on the floor at Nya's side. He howled for the second time that night and allowed Nya's embrace to protect him from further assault.

A slurry of expletives and vile words was thrown Zane's way but he ignored it. He did find some of the words more colourful and added them to his growing vocabulary. No, Zane was better than that, he would not be beaten by crude words nor insults. _"Cole, brother?"_

Cole wasn't answering, he was still groaning from behind the door.

Zane was still standing off against the slurry of insults. Not rising to the obvious baiting, he spoke calmly, "Kai, you need to calm down and listen to us, listen to reason." He looked to his side. Concern dotting his invisible features as he took in Cole's newest injury for himself.

Dorian or Cole was literally holding it all together with his bare hands. Groaning miserably at the pain and the inability to stem the flow.

"Cole, here!" Zane muttered quietly under his breath, passing a cloth for him to stem the gruesome and horrific facial wound. "That was almost arterial, You need to be more careful." It was said as more of a dark warning.

He shuddered when he saw the blood on Kai's finger tips. It was slowly being licked off by not just Kai but Nya too. "Can you listen to reason, Kai?" Zane repeated, uneasily. He could have sworn that Nya was using the blood as a rouge lipstain and he was suddenly overcome with feelings of nausea.

" _Cole_?" He whispered quietly panicking. His hand had shot to his mouth rapidly but he quickly swallowed the mouthful of bile before it fell from his lips. He was horrified at the taste of stomach acid, it burnt his mouth and his throat.

Normally, well, recently. Cole had been the go to person for all things human. This was one of those things that Cole hadn't really had a chance to discuss with Zane because as a titanium ninja he didn't really become ill.

Kai suddenly sat up but didn't make a move towards the door. "You mean listen to _your_ reason?" His eyebrow quivering. "Who are you anyway?" Kai asked, a deep frown of confusion. He rubbed his eyes to remove the frost from his spiked eyelashes.

Cole had stilled from his crouched position on the floor. His face was pouring relentlessly. But he still wasn't finished speaking and he gladly accepted the cloth as Zane passed him his own handkerchief. "I can still do this Zane. It's fine okay."

"If you insist…" Zane replied quietly. "Do not antagonise. I think they are both grouchy."

"Ya think?" Cole managed a crooked grin as he held the other side of his face together.

He turned to face the wolf and Vampire, "As I was saying _**KAI**_ and Nya...welcome to Victor's home. Yeah, it could have been a better reception had you two not tried to drink the home owner dry and-"

Still visibly irritated, Kai cut Cole off before he had the chance to finish. "-How do you know my name, who are you, _**both of you?**_ " He repeated, this time he hissed it through his bared teeth. The hoarse growl still there, still vibrating those deep and dark werewolf tones. Quiet enough to wake any nearby to come to his aid. _**"Who are you?"**_

Cole smirked despite the gashes reopening horrifically. "Really Kai?" He huffed and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, introductions are in order." He did a mock bow but still kept his eyes on the wolf.

"My name's Cole, you should already know me because we've trained together for about seven years at Wu's monastery and Destiny's Bounty respectively. You remember that right?" His stance was relaxed. Leaning against the door frame with his arms across his breast. "Or have we mistaken you for another werewolf that answers to Kai, in this era?"

"I, I uh…"

"Do you recognise me know, _Kai?"_ Cole hissed painfully. As he removed the bloody cloth from his face again.

Kai frowned with a sense of dawning realisation, he nodded slowly. He motioned to the headless entity. Kai could still smell the blood pooling through his system, the beat of this invisible man's heart even if he couldn't actually see the physical body, he could still smell him. "Who's that then?"

Zane was slightly taken aback at the cruel and rude tone afforded to him but answered instead of letting Cole do the introductions. "I am Zane, and likewise, I too have trained with you, tirelessly, I should add."

Kai's eyes widened slightly as did Nya's.

"Maybe you could afford the home owner the same gratitude too?" Zane queried with his eyebrow raised.

Kai and Cole stared at each other. The distrust still there but ebbing away slowly.

Kai suddenly changed his tone, becoming defensive again. "Why the hell do you care about the home owner? This isn't real, this is what I keep telling her." He said, motioning towards an annoyed and aggrieved Nya who was trembling with cold.

Zane still kept a firm grasp on the door in case one of them tried to overpower. The black haired male was quick to answer Kai's rude question. "Because, the home owner you tried to bleed dry is none other than Jay. You know, our brother?"

Nya looked immediately remorseful. "No, y-you're lying!" She gasped and held her throat tightly. Shaking her head fast, she was muttering the same thing over and over. "No, no, no..."

"It is real. This whole thing is real and it's a heap of crap we could do without, Nya."

She glared at her brother. Balling her fists, she hit his chest relentlessly. He didn't stop her.

"I told you this was real and you-" She paused taking a breath between sobs, "- you didn't believe me." Her fist's now bruising, she stopped and collapsed in on herself. Drawing her knees up to her face, she sobbed, relentlessly.

Loud heart wrenching sobs were all that could be heard and it broke him. It broke Kai in half.

Cole looked back at where he believed Zane to be standing. Unsure if the invisible man was looking in his direction or not. "I know that it's difficult to hear and I'm sorry to tell you like this but we couldn't risk you two getting away again."

"Still, Cole-" Zane started and noted that Kai had looked up at him with red rimmed eyes. The type of eyes that look like they were holding onto a literal wall of tears.

Zane carried on, "-we are all together now, and perhaps we can try to figure this out as a group?" His voice was soothing, meant to calm both Nya and Kai.

It seemed to be working. Both nightcrawlers were subdued but one was sobbing and the other was barely speaking, save for the odd pitiful whining.

Cole never took his eyes off Kai. "We're all together all right, but two of them almost destroyed everything because they gave into their carnal desires."

Zane's look had turned from the siblings to his black haired brother. Watching in awe as his skin began knitting back together sinew by sinew, epithelium and epidermis repaired flawlessly with no hint of blood loss, except for the steady crusted trails of it.

He was stunned, but still questioning of Cole's own carnal desires and his failure at not being able to control himself. "As have you, Cole."

Cole's glare faltered slightly, he blushed but kept his gaze on the siblings, "That's different Zane, I can't believe you're bringing that up now. I'm talking about ripping and tearing flesh, blood sucking and that sorta stuff not the stuff you're talking about."

Zane chuckled. It was a sound that Cole was still not used to because of how forced it sounded. "Still, a carnal desire no less, Cole?"

"ZANE! _What?_ It's not quite the same….not really." Cole was quickly growing flustered until Kai's broken voice tried to cut in.

"I'm sorry…." He mumbled. His voice breaking. "I had no idea. I didn't know it was him." His growl had gone, his head hung as low as it could.

Nya nodded with Kai. "Had we known…Well, we'd have never done it...never in a million years." Even the mere memory of doing it had bought another flood of tears.

Zane was quick to enter the freezer but he still remained a good metre away. He was watching everything cautiously, none more so than the stances and body language of both siblings. Kai's stance was subdued and less threatening, Nya's was more maternal. "Can we trust that you will keep away from him?"

"Wh-Who?" Nya sobbed and lifted her tear soaked face.

Cole rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Lucifer, Beelzebub...Who the hell do you think we mean?... _JAY_ , Jay of course." He replied sarcastically.

His voice carried a little too well outside the freezer door. "Can we trust the both of you?" He repeated Zane's unanswered question.

Both brother and sister looked at each other and then back at the two men. They nodded at the same time. "I'm sorry Cole, Z-Zane…" Kai mumbled yet again and offered his wrists as a sign of subjugation.

"Good, then you two won't mind if we don't trust you?" Cole said cryptically as he grabbed Kai's wrists as the wolf stood face to face with the bodiless Zane.

Kai had his head low, "Understandable….really, considering." Kai mumbled quietly. "How is he, is he alright?"

Cole's authoritative stance calmed and he spoke to Kai as he would have done normally had they been debriefing after a battle. "He's in bed, resting. He's had a tough time of it recently."

The shackles were in place within a few seconds and no less. A makeshift long chain attached for a warning noise, in place of a bell. The wolf howled sorrowfully at being restrained. "Sorry Kai, you could've killed him and we can't take any risks. Not with you two nightcrawlers. Igor would pitch a fit!"

Kai bit his bottom lip and he refused to say anything else. Instead, he let out a lowly whine and sat about the hard floor. Glad to be finally coming out of the freezer.

The same treatment was afforded to Nya, both were restrained for the night and yanked out of the freezer before the door could be locked again.

Kai huffed in defeated resignation. Whining despondently, he looked sorrowfully at Nya. She was still avoiding his apologetic gaze. "So, what happens now?"

Cole's calm demeanour was shining through despite his healing wounds. He knew that Kai was struggling with this, possibly more than anyone else...except for Jay.

He took one pitiful glance at the spiky haired master of fire, "Kai, Nya, you need to rest. That's all there is to it."

"Th-then, why the need for the chains?" Nya choked out between barely restrained sobs.

Zane glanced at Cole, but the black haired male was impervious to her emotional state of anxiety. "I believe that answer speaks for itself, Nya. The truth is, you both pose a risk to _every_ occupant in this house, except for yourselves, of course."

"Are we...?" Nya couldn't finish what she wanted to say, she cried instead and used what was left of her gown as a tissue to dry her eyes.

Kai was dreading it, he'd killed three people already. He would be a wanted murderer in no time, once the clues came to light. "She probably wants to know if you're gonna hand us over to the police?"

Cole had faltered in his slow ascent back up the stairs. Turning to face both siblings, he placed a hand on his hips, shaking his head and releasing a small chuckle. "You may have broken the law, Kai, but we're all in this together. No matter what it takes...And no, neither of you are prisoners. It's just safer this way, at least until we can find you somewhere better."

"….But-" Kai wanted to say something to make everything right but he couldn't find the words.

Cole seemed to know what Kai was trying to say but this tactic was really only the way it would work for everyone.

His newly scarred expression softened, "I know you guys don't appreciate the sunlight nor the chains but you'll be safer down here than out there. No windows, see?" Cole said as he shone the oil lantern around.

"Sleep tight, guys. Just think of this as free accommodation." He taunted but still smiled as he walked up the stairs.

Zane was walking up the brick stairs with his brother. He turned to the seated siblings "We will speak later. We have much we need to discuss."

"That we do Zane. I don't know about you but I'm going back tonight. I'm not staying here, not with him and not whilst he's in this mood."

Zane looked at Cole, his face would have expressed deep concern for the master of earth. Especially in this time and place what with being weaponless and vulnerable. His soothing and sympathetic touch came to rest on Cole's upper arm. "Why do you want to go home tonight, can you not wait a few more hours?"

Cole shook his head. He looked up as he securely locked the basement door. "I need to get my head straight and I don't want to annoy Lloyd anymore tonight." He replied miserably.

Zane smiled, his posture relaxed as he stood closer to his black haired brother, "I like to believe that we as a team can get through this Cole."

Cole shrugged and grabbed his overcoat and top hat. "I know and we can, its just-"

Zane tried to halt Cole's escape into the early morning, his firm grasp on his brother's forearm. "You have to remember that Lloyd and you were leaders not that long ago. That was, until you _relinquished_ that right to Lloyd. So _you_ must also take into account that it will only be natural for that same power struggle to surface again, here in this place and time."

Cole had placed his coat and top hat, casting his wistful gaze up the stairs to where Victor was sleeping. "What exactly are you getting at Zane, quit beating around the bush."

Zane wasn't flustered, "I mean if you must go then go, but do not hold it against Lloyd for being protective against one of our brothers. You too would do the same if you were leading us."

Cole was gobsmacked. Speechless at Zane's attempt at reasoning. It shouldn't have hit a raw nerve but it had and Cole was seething.

Like he really needed that spelling out to him. Damn, he knew he wasn't the leader anymore but it was still a sore point because often, any battle strategies still fell to Cole, only to be given the all clear by Lloyd. "Good night Zane, I'll send a coachman tomorrow to pick you up at 11."

He cast a small insincere smile and closed the door behind him. Cole had the darkest scowl on his face as he hailed a carriage. He needed an outlet and he knew just the person who could give him that.

"Take me to the Vane residence, Essex Road, Islington." Cole ordered and shut the door. He pulled the blinds down and sat back in the cushioned seat as visions of Jay tormented his mind.

' _Dammit Lloyd.'_

* * *

 **This takes place two months before 'Call me Jay.'**

 **And, I've only got a couple of months to get this one caught up in time for the big reveal on the companion story.**


	20. Dorian's impropriety

Cole had rocked up at 23 Essex Road, Islington in good time. The sun was just breaching the horizon as the carriage came to an abrupt jolted stop. The carriage wheel had obviously hit a pothole of sorts. But then, this area was just out of the city and the roads here were still mostly mud strewn cobble stones with raw sewerage thrown in for good measure.

The door was opened for him to disembark and Cole said nothing to the coachman in response to the gesture of kindness just afforded. This was Victorian England after all. Niceties were only given to those upper classes and the aristocracy, of which Dorian was one of.

He held his breath and tried to ignore the stench that this part of London furnished him with. Forsooth, the smell had hit him the moment he had disembarked from the carriage. It was a stark reminder that he was no longer in the nice part of London anymore. Victor's homestead didn't smell, unless the back windows were opened, mind you, his home was in a well to do part of London. He lived near Kensington, just at the side of Hyde Park.

Cole cleared his throat. "Ahem." Straightening his attire and trying his hardest to ignore the god awful stench.

He didn't realise how easy it was to just switch back into his Dorian persona and, again, how easy it was to read the thoughts of the young looking man who looked like he could do with gaining a few pounds at the gym. Cole wondered if they had any body building things in this era, or if it was just a case of toiling the lands to build up that core strength that Dorian looked like he was sorely lacking.

Cole knew from his own personal readings, that Dorian was potentially older than all of them. But, his face and body was suspiciously ageless. Dorian always looked timeless and youthful in appearance.

His picture though, at this moment in time...was truly hideous. He had to have it moved from pride of place above his mantle piece to a secure room in the eaves. And, when he saw it but less than a day ago, it looked utterly creepy.

The treasured and once cherished picture of Dorian Gray was that of an old balding man with a half disfigured face. The disfigured side revealed nothing but rot and decay. He looked literally half decomposed in the picture. And, it was more than mildly disconcerting to see a mirror image of his once immaculate younger self now having taken all of the injuries and indulgences that he had subjected himself to over the space of a good few years. It was horrifying to watch the transformation but he was almost addicted to it.

Cole shuddered when he thought back to the picture again and the book he had read on his father's nightstand. It was Gay literature, that alone had raised an eyebrow in the much younger Cole. Perhaps alluding to the fact that Lou had never sought another female for companionship.

The book, just as Jay had mentioned, was indeed risque. But he skim read those particular scenes, although, he could certainly remember reading about Dorian's stamina. That was something that they both shared, although Cole blushed at where Dorian's stamina was best sought and delivered.

* * *

His mind was brought back to the present.

"Sir?" The coachmen held his hand out and Cole, knowingly, just handed him a small pouch of florins, sending him on his way.

He watched with an evil smirk as the coachman and his carriage disappeared into the haze that was the inner parts of the city he had just travelled from.

Running a hand through his hair, Cole walked with a purpose towards his intended's front door. He was planning on ravaging her, not caring in the slightest that her brother might be here.

Cole didn't care at this exact moment in time, he didn't care about anything. All that was on his mind was anger and resentment at how Lloyd had spoken to him a few hours ago. And this, this would be his outlet, this would be his time to let it all out.

It was a humble place, not like his own large house and home. This was a city based home, that was two stories less than his own place. The frontage was hidden by a small but well cared for privet hedge.

He walked up the few white sandstone steps, and, using his cane, he rapped the door twice and no more. Standing back respectfully, Cole waited for the large black door to be opened.

It opened widely with a creaking groan.

The female housekeeper, in her faded white and beige dress looked happily at the Image of a smart looking Dorian Gray on their door step. "Ms Vane?" The housekeeper called shrilly from the front door.

It was far too early to be screeching as loudly as she was doing. "Ms Vane?-" She repeated as she turned her head to face the small darkwood stair case. "-Sir Dorian Gray is here. You wish for me to escort him to the front room?"

Her delicate and gentle voice could be heard. "Please, if you could. Maybe offer him some refreshments. Considering the time is early."

Cole walked on in, He nodded his head in thanks to the housekeeper and relinquished his outer coat, cane and top hat to the housekeeper.

Before the housekeeper had a chance to place any of Dorian's outer clothes, she turned to face him, "Refreshments Sir, we are serving breakfast. You wish to join the family for breakfast?"

Cole looked down at his ring finger. The sovereign ring he wore was a gift from Sybil too, she had proposed to him. "How many will be at breakfast this fine morning?"

The housekeeper was still placing the top hat and cane in the small airy cloakroom. It was apparent that she was still in there, "It shall just be the lady, Sir Dorian, and –" She paused, closing the door she turned to face Dorian again. "-James. Mrs Vane is travelling to the coast, she is not well, Sir."

Cole's expression darkened. "Oh, you will pass on my good wishes for her recovery?"

The female housekeeper nodded, "Of course, Sir."

James had quite clearly been on the good stuff the night just gone, judging by his uncoordinated swagger. He slumped down opposite Dorian on the large drop arm Victoria settee that looked in dire need of reupholstering. Having likely seen better days.

The knowls of the furniture and supporting tassels barely held the arms of the settee up as James threw himself onto the once finely upholstered furniture. "Why are you here Dorian?" He asked, eyes glazed over.

Cole looked at him askance. He had the nerve to ask him why he was here to see his betrothed. "I have come to spend some time with Sybil, of course, why else?"

"I'll bet you have-" he scoffed at Cole's reply, "-At this time, do you not have anything better to do?"

"Such as?" Cole inquired, genuinely. He was testing James. The inebriated young man would be easy to best in his current state.

He sullied the settee with his lazed posture and slouched against it. Retrieving his hip flask, "Come to stuff her double with those friends of your eh?"

Cole narrowed his eyes. "What folly is this? Are you spying on me?"

James smirked and tapped his temple gently. Saying nothing he turned to face the dark wood staircase as his sister made her bright appearance. He looked disgusted when he saw her making that loved up gaze towards Dorian.

She was making her usual delicate descent to the ground floor. This young woman, wore no airs or graces about herself. She couldn't really grace it around anyway, she was far from it. Sybil was humbled by her own upbringing. She knew that she had to work to make ends meet so she did what she loved most of all. In the hopes that one day she would make it to such prominent theatres as frequented by the richer and more civilized inhabitants of London.

The theatre Royal on Drury lane was on her list, as was the newly opened Haymarket Theatre. Dorian, of course, was eager to make her happy and had even put in good words of praise to the stage managers. But it was increasingly evident that money alone was not enough to cement her status, rather , her upbringing was brought into question. It seemed that only the esteemed middle classes did well in these high end theatres and poor sweet Sybil would need to do much more in her endeavors to find that dreams that she clung to so tightly.

Her dreams, that she had revealed to Dorian, were ones where she could see herself standing amidst hundreds of adoring fans. She wanted to be _that_ thespian and receive the genuine adulation from the audience rather than the cold heckling. Of this, she was certain she was more than capable.

Cole had spluttered on his cup of Earl Gray. He spoke under his breath at James's vulgar tone. Loud enough that only James would hear and no others. "Actually, no-" he straightened up and looked down his nose at Sybil's brother. "I would have thought it was quite obvious despite what you think." He placed his cup on the saucer.

Looking happy for once as Sybil walked into the room, Cole stood respectfully and greeted her. He kissed her hand, almost sinfully in style, making James bristle.

Cole had pulled her closer still until she was front flush against his body. His right hand placed on Sybil's hip. The black haired ageless man looked over her shoulder at James, "No, most of today and likely tonight, I shall likely be spending time getting to know my future bride better? Considering we are to be joined in matrimony before the summer is through."

"Is that not correct, my dear?" Cole said as he lifted her jaw delicately and kissed her passionately.

She broke from the kiss breathlessly and nodded at him. She didn't even greet her brother as her lips rejoined Cole's.

"Breakfast is being served in the dining room," The housekeeper announced and both young lovers parted breathlessly.

James had never been more grateful for the interruption. He was close to vomiting or getting up and wanting a duel with the young man who dared to do this in front of him.

He thought that if Dorian kissed her in this manner and she reciprocated just as eagerly, what else had she done with him. Or what had he made her do? Mother would be infuriated if she knew that Dorian had deflowered Sybil before her wedding night.

But, it was fairly obvious, judging by their lustful behaviour towards each other, that both had already been thoroughly acquainted enough and intimately at that.

James got up and growled at both, barging none too gently into Dorian on purpose.

Cole stood his ground, having broken apart from Sybil's lips. He still held her firm in his grasp and although he didn't love her, he knew that Dorian only had feelings of lust for the woman he held.

Sybil, at this moment, had certainly ignited something inside him and now, he was ravenous. The only cure?

The cure right now was depravity. There was no medication that could cure this insatiable hunger that Dorian felt right now. He was looking right at the cure, the cure was covered in the right amount of curves.


	21. Lust for a life

Since he had sat and eaten with her this morning she had been teasing him. They had been sat opposite rather than seated next to each other with James at the head of the 8 seated table. And typically, Sybil's foot had been somewhere provocative from the moment Cole had sat to eat.

His rising interest for her was only hidden by the large expanse of mahogany and the aged silken tablecloth that lay atop. Cole was forever grateful that the moth bitten and stained material hid everything underneath it. Even the small dogs that swept up the crumbs as they fell. "Sybil?" Cole questioned, opposite her as he cut into his protein rich feast.

"Dorian-" She smiled in response and carried on. "You surprised me this day. I was not expecting to see you until much later this week."

Cole bit his lip and stifled his moan, choosing instead to draw it out on a piece of buttered toast. "Tis true, one cannot keep away from such a creature as yourself. One only wishes to bestow praises on you my dear. To love and to cherish."

James looked like he was having a hard time keeping his food down. "Can you not do this whilst I eat. Surely as I am to be the man of this house can you afford me with some decorum, Dorian, **_SYBIL?_** " He asked, raising his voice toward the end as he observed his own flesh and blood making positively vile facial expressions at the man opposite.

Both had looked up toward the head of the table at the sharp snapping tone.

Sybil was the first to laugh, shortly followed by Cole. And soon, thereafter, James, the ' _man of the house'_ had retired and fled from his early morning breakfast, as if the meal were to have legs of its own and chase him away.

It left both lovers alone, staring wistfully at each other. Eyes burning deeply into each others soul. Her soul was innocence, through and through, Cole was too, to a certain extent but Dorian's soul. His soul was as tarnished as they came and almost on par with Frankensteins'. This hedonistic lifestyle made Dorian want more. He wasn't just happy with the one experience, he wanted to try more, to push himself and see how much his body could take. Truth be told and abhorred, that Cole had experienced so much indulgence these past three nights, than he had during his entire young life in Ninjago. His eyes, now well and truly opened to the depravity of Dorian's lifestyle.

Cole swallowed deeply with her next move. The beautiful creature had vanished amongst the swathes of stained silk tablecloth. Cole only felt her presence a few seconds later and never had he gripped the table as hard as he did then.

* * *

"Sybil-" Cole said as he pushed her against her bedroom wall, "I am only ever devoted to you, Forever entranced by your beauty."

She had rid him of his ivory shirt, that just had to go. Her hands were allowed to wander over the suppleness underneath. The warmth and firmness of him everywhere she traced. "You were so eager to reciprocate for my misgivings earlier?"

He nodded at her slowly whilst his free hand pulled the ribbon strap as it trailed off her shoulder. "Yet you are so open with the love you bestow. Would you have me take you whilst your brother looks on, in the same room? Would have me take you if your mother was here too, like this?"

As yet she was not speaking, just gasping with him and in time with him as he moved tantalizingly slow. "You would happily oblige me of this?" He asked and watched her facial expression contorting from pleasure to sinful indulgence as he imagined his face to be expressing.

He remembered from Dorian's perspective, the day he first saw her performing. Twas a shady theatre district. A small and rather dingy establishment that no refinery of London folk would ever dare to walk, at least, at nightfall. During the day, the place was awash with people. Market stalls mostly, all selling their wares, scraps and other such things that earned them a meagre wage and kept them a mere hair's breadth from complete poverty.

But the area didn't bother Dorian as such. He was only after her, pursuing her until he would make his mark and claim her as his own. And when he had found her again, he was captivated. Dorian had sat and had watched with rapture as this beautiful redhead came onto the stage and read her lines flawlessly. He noted that no matter the amount of shows she performed, Sybil controlled the stage, commandeered it and bent it to her will, just as she was with Cole and her expectations of him and his body.

* * *

Cole's lips had smashed against hers as he quickly claimed another part of her, just as she was with him.

Sybil was impressed with this strength that he exuded. She wasn't so sure of when he had been capable of this but she said nothing of it. The only coherence she was capable of was short intakes of breath. Her mind was attempting to speak but no words were uttered out-loud. For her it was like stage fright, an inability to speak, but it wasn't fright that was causing this lack of words.

He held her up easily against the wall, Maybe it helped that Cole was an ace with the chin up bar on the Bounty. He could do it one handed too, raise himself of the floor and up over the bar using his upper body strength and core muscles. It was something that Jay wasn't quite capable of. Kai could do it too. He'd never shied away from competition either, same with Zane. Although the chin up bar had to be reinforced and welded when Zane tried, because titanium was heavy and the first chin up bar cracked and splintered under the pressure.

But Sybil was so petite, shorter than Cole by a full foot and incredibly light weight in comparison. Now both hands free he placed her gently on her own bed. "Exquisite Sybil-" He bit his lip as he looked down at her. Dorian was quick to join her again and from his new position, he growled up at her. "-Like a fine wine decanted just for me." He grasped her thigh and squeezed tightly.

Her lust was rekindling his fire, and all Dorian wanted was this, for this moment. Cole wasn't exactly shunning the idea either. If anything he was learning a great deal more about Dorian than he had first realized. It wasn't like he had a girlfriend during his time on the Bounty, not that he had bothered to look. He had just accepted to focus his mind and body on his training and leadership qualities than his own wants and needs.

Although, shamefully, Cole knew and regretted that he had pursued Nya at one stage but they had never gotten past second base. She was cruel anyway, deserved her lot. _'A female vampire. The vampiress with no heart, it suits her really. Considering how much she played with Jay's and strung him along like a puppet on a string, a marionette.'_

His mind, yet again was brought back to the here and now moment. This, that he was feeling now, was amazing. Every time Dorian spent with Sybil, Cole had felt the invigoration of her touch and her body. That feeling of being joined was indescribable. And, no matter how bone tired afterwards, he felt that she reignited that spark time and time again.

He was grinning against her as he kissed his way back up, " You are looking forward to our union?" He asked as he lowered onto his elbows.

She closed her eyes, biting her lip hard to prevent her from shouting out aloud. "My heart is contented with you Dorian, of this I have never been more sure."

"You are ready?" He asked with a grin.

Of course, his question had two meanings. One of which she needed not answer because he could already tell.

"Where is the union to take place? I mean to find out, considering I shall be the groomsman."

"Mother decided Lake Como." Sybil moaned against Cole's lips.

He faltered slightly. "Italy, you wish for our unity to happen in Italy?"

There was a horrendous shiver that accompanied the mention of this location. Something that was inexplicably linked to Victor and Jay but the thought and notion never came to him. It stayed in his mind, the name going over and over, forwards and backwards, in and out.

He couldn't make any sense of it, but he knew it to be ominous somehow.

Lake Como was nearest the foothills of the Alps, in the northernmost parts of Italy. Surrounded by utterly beautiful landscape, almost as beautiful as Sybil. He was surprised that Mrs Vane had enough to pay for the trip let alone for the wedding. Unless of course, James was paying for it too.

Oh how unfortunate that the big brother would have to work so hard so as to pay the dowry on his own sisters matrimony. And all because Sybil's father had passed in her early childhood. But then this was the Victorian ages, and a woman in this fine upstanding country could lose her house and status if she had no dowry nor income. Some younger women of outstanding beauty and good teeth would be married off again quickly so as to avoid shaming the family.

Cole regained some of his senses back from Dorian and looked down at her as her back arched off the mattress. He was loving it just as much as Dorian was.

The feeling of her as she ran her fingers through his hair, and she _was_ pulling it hard. Dorian didn't care and if Cole was honest with himself, at this exact moment he didn't care either.

This pain was nothing compared to the red hot candle wax Dorian had endured a few months prior or the beating he'd received a few weeks after that. A few hairs being pulled from his scalp was like a few cat scratches. Cole's pain threshold was far stronger than Dorian's but it seemed that neither felt pain for very long. Only the picture showed the pain, the body healed faster, almost quicker than the eyes could watch.

The only thing that became stronger was the pleasure.

It was just a sign of how passionate she was.

* * *

The whole afternoon and most of the evening was like a silent showing at the theatres. The types that would be full of loose women and ladies of the night.

Cole was shocked with just how eager she was to please him. She had let him have his way with her, multiple times and, in many a sordid position. Vātsyāyana's Sanskrit text of the Kāmasūtra had nothing on Cole now. Both had reached obscene levels of pleasure before collapsing in on themselves.

Cole had kissed her goodbye, pulling his cream collar up to hide the vast amount of love bites she had given. "I shall see you in a few days, yes?"

She said nothing, just nodded.

And when she nodded, Cole could see the love bites he had adorned her with. Luckily, the other bites he gave her were hidden and would only be seen by her own dressmaker tomorrow when she was due to be measured for her bridal gown.

He ached when he left that early evening. And he ached in other places when he boarded his own carriage.

The housekeeper had taken it upon herself to call his own residence and had thoughtfully arranged for his own men to collect him rather than expect the young prestigious aristocrat to use London's own filthy carriage's. Those carriages would often be frequented by whores and their lowly paying clientele.

This time of year, after all, was considerably damp in comparison to the summer months of which were just around the corner. And besides, who wanted a romp in the damp side streets of London when they could use a carriage for such lewd acts.

Cole took a deep sigh, he looked depressingly at his fob watch. It was early evening and he was due at the riverfront. "Thames Docks please, I have a meeting to attend in less than an hour." Cole mumbled.

He got into his own black carriage. He smiled once inside, not caring in the slightest that he still hadn't freshened up, nor bathed. His black cravat had been done up and looked perfect thanks in part to Sybil's flawless stylistic touch.

He knew he was in his own carriage. He didn't even have to open or shut the door because it would be done for him. Everything inside the carriage was just how he liked it. It was black, just as dark as his tarnished soul. The same soul he had promised to the devil for his eternal life. The only thing that gave him that long life was the accursed picture. The picture was the only thing that would guarantee that long and illustrious life that Dorian so craved above all.

He leaned back in his carriage and felt the lurch forward as the two black mares pulled the black carriage into motion. His mind was on Sybil, and only on her. What she had allowed him to do even if it defiled her somewhat, she was still eager to please him, to oblige his needs.

It was fair to say that Cole was now quite experienced….thanks to Dorian's overly indulgent desires for the immoral life that he was being told to live.

* * *

A few hours later and he had arrived back at his own home. It was west of London. Up river from Victor's own place and far away enough from Lloyd's territory.

His mind was wandering back to Jay on occasion.

And, he wondered if he should have gone at all, considering how unstable Jay was when he had left. Was Jay as Lloyd said he was, was the blue ninja going insane? Did he do the right thing in leaving so late against Zane's guidance and pleading tone, even if the erstwhile titanium ninja could do with a little help in the art of being tactful in delivering well-meant advice?

He decided at the last minute to just wait at his own home for any telegram or call that would need his immediate attention. He still had things to see to, considering the hour was late. Furthermore, he still had Dorian's life to keep under control and his own persona to keep under wraps. So he swiftly exited his carriage as soon as the door was opened. Nodding politely at his own groomsmen, Cole walked up the steps to his own stark white London townhouse.

A few handwritten calligraphy notes were placed within his grasp. It seemed that the order of business this evening was to arrange the dowry that Mrs. Vane had offered to pay in marrying her daughter off. And this was despite Dorian's strong protestations of ignoring marital protocol. He knew how costly the dowry could be and he had offered to pay it himself but she was a traditional woman. Raised as virtuous as she believed her only daughter to be.

Sybil, after this morning, was _anything_ but virtuous and neither was Cole.

No sooner had Cole entered Dorian's home he was given the remainder of the days' meetings to attend. He had a banquet to prepare for and an in-depth but rather laborious discussion with Lord Wootton to heed.

And, he had just been given a telegram that he recognized immediately. The address was from the residence of which he had been at almost twelve hours ago.

It was an apology, of sorts. A hand written physicians note with barely legible writing that had been delivered to the Gray residence at dawn's light. Cole hadn't been here to accept it but he still took it to heart and chose to go to his sitting room rather than his bedroom. He was thankful that the telegram was written in informal English rather than the overly complicated wordings they used in this day and age. It meant that who ever read it would have a hard time deciphering what was written. People rarely used conjunctions here.

 **FAO Dorian,**

 **I'm sorry Cole, I didn't mean to snap at you.**

 **This isn't easy for any of us, in fact it's still new and some of us feel so completely out of our depth. Please, when you're free, can you come back. We still need to talk and to clear the air. I realise that there were things said that weren't meant but it was just the heat of the moment. And the resulting fall out from what had happened with Jay being bitten.**

 **Jay's still the same. He's slept all night. I had to sedate him eventually, he wouldn't rest.**

 **I also thought I should let you know that Kai and Nya have come round. And I mean, that they have apologised to Jay, in fact to everyone...except you.**

 **We need to talk, Cole. We need to get answers and we need to make a plan.**

 **Once again, I'm sorry, hope to see you tomorrow.**

 **Lloyd AKA J &H**

"Sir Gray?"

"Yes?" Cole replied to his alter ego's name effortlessly, like he'd already associated with Dorian. He placed the large tubs of French powder concealer down on the table. It was something he bought today for a certain invisible man, something to give him a little more definition.

"Anything you would like Sir?"

Thinking about that simple request. The sorts of things that Cole would have to do himself when he lived on Bounty he just did them. But to be asked of simple activities of daily living was odd to observe, even stranger to be given a choice.

It was a relief not to have to think of how to ask for things in this day and age, his Victorian dialect took over easily. "Draw me a bath and prepare my outfit for the banquet?"

It wasn't meant as a question and the servant didn't take it as one. He simply turned to face the master of the house, "As you wish Sir. I'll do it right away, also -" He stalled his exit into the dimly lit dark wood hallway, "-Sir Henry will be here soon. He has matters of urgency that he requires your assistance with."

Cole turned his head to look at his man servant. "I thought he was due to converse about such matters this evening?"

The man servant, looked mildly apologetic at this. "It was meant for much later this evening but he felt the need to come earlier. I rather think it involves his daughter and her coming of age."

Cole's eyebrow rose at that snippet. That would make Sir Henry a good 50 years old. "The Lady Emily is eighteen now, time has passed thus?"

The man servant nodded, "Yes sir, she shall be attending too, as his companion and he her chaperone."

Cole smirked to himself. He still had his back to his man servant. "Thank you."


	22. It's all the rage now

The sound of the basement door being unlocked was music to the newest inhabitants ears.

Not that they hadn't slept well down here, the siblings had actually had a pretty good nights sleep, all things considering. This was, as opposed to where both had slept the night before last; a crate to name the one that stood out amongst others, or the back end of a carriage and the dirty side streets of London where Kai had slept just before finding his sister...actually, this was the better option.

"Some food for you guys." Lloyd said with a dark chuckle. He approached slowly with a heavily laden tray that looked to hold things atop with a deep red goodness about them. He had a look of relief on his face as he eyed Kai and Nya in their dishevelled but awake states, "breakfast time?"

He still approached cautiously with Zane in tow, "am I safe to come closer?" He asked with a nervous smile, "Not going to try anything?"

Kai looked down and sighed. "You're safe Lloyd," he was shaking his head as he spoke, "I was just caught in the moment, didn't think any of this was real...until last night." An audible groan ensued, for a few seconds it had sounded like a pitiful howl of abject pain.

"I know Kai, it happened to me too." Lloyd had paused, widening his eyes as he cocked his head to the side. The master of energy didn't elaborate on the fact he'd decapitated a woman on his first night here though, "H-how many have you two killed?" He asked, trying to rid his mind of that image.

He was nervous, they were supposed to be the good guys, not the people who went around looking for and enjoying mindless violence. It was so wrong but it was what they had become in a heartbeat and the villainous side of him loved it.

"You really wanna know?" Kai said, rubbing his face with grim realisation, "I killed two people, and I had two _very_ blue steaks."

There was no laughing at his gallows humour, it was still too much to take in.

"So blue that they were still bleating whilst you ate them?" Nya questioned and cringed when Kai shot her a look of contempt. "Thankfully, I've got a little more restraint," she protested quietly, raising her eyebrow at her brother's apparent blood lust and the shock of hearing about his obvious carnal weaknesses.

Nya had edged closer to her brother and had placed an arm around him, "We are safe Lloyd, it's under control now."

"Good, I saw what you did to Jay last night and uh Cole?" Lloyd tested a little to ease the tension, "And also, Nya...I know who was after you."

Nya's gaze was eyeing the tray of glass bottles, "Van Helsing-" She stated, rolling her eyes, "-this is stupid, he could have ended me right there but I think he has a soft spot for Mina."

"Not really a soft spot," he said as he approached closer, "But, he's none the wiser about where you are now, and what? Helsing's now in his late 40's?" Lloyd asked gently, trying to make her feel more at ease. She was the first one to come into direct contact with her villains's hero. The hero who would be responsible for taking her down with a stake to the heart.

"He tried to proposition me," She shrugged at Lloyd and her brother as both looked at her with concern dotting their features, "He just warned me to stay off his patch, but he kept me tied to that chair until almost sunset."

Kai squeezed her hand, he could remember seeing how scared she looked when he found her in that crate. It was all she could do to save her from being burnt to a crisp in the sun. Lucky for her that his sense of smell was exceptional. He hadn't even been looking for her until he got to the city. "Helsing will be after both of us." Kai stated, casting some small glances to whom he believed was Jay standing nearest the metal freezer door.

"Well, don't ask where I got these but-" Lloyd smiled, passing a couple of glass bottles to Nya, both full with recently oxygenated blood and Zane carried two very large yet obvious items of human flesh still with bones attached.

"The rest of them?"Nya enquired as she saw a few more blood filled bottles on the tray that Lloyd was holding.

Lloyd smiled, "They're for later. You need to learn self restraint. So this-" he said as Zane took the tray from him, "-is called rationing."

Lloyd chuckled as he watched Kai eat a full thigh with a set of impressive canines that appeared, "just don't ask where I got them all from."

Kai had ripped a huge chunk off and was chewing it as the meat slid down his throat. He cleared his throat, "Cole, how is he?"

Zane in his invisible state carried a rather heavy wooden crate across the floor, "You damaged his face last night, but I can tell you that it is quite possibly fine now."

"Possibly?" Kai questioned,

"Dorian Gray?" Lloyd and Zane said in unison, "-as long as his picture is safe then he is too." Zane added.

Even in this state of being a human, Zane's voice still seemed monotonous and devoid of any pleasure or tone.

Jay had walked around the corner but the addled mind that he shared with Victor Frankenstein was still apprehensive about meeting these two new occupants. Although the female was exceptionally easy on the eyes, she _painfully_ reminded him of Elizabeth. The monster took her before he'd even consummated the marriage.

"You okay, Jay?" Kai asked sheepishly, "-you know, we're both sorry about last night right, didn't really know it was you bro?"

"I'm sorry too, "Nya called out, "We had no idea."

"Guys, Lloyd whispered so as only they could hear him, "Don't waste your breath, he doesn't know who you are yet."

* * *

Victor looked up and his red rimmed eyes looked at the beings who had uttered the odd words. One of them was a man of medium stature, similar facial attributes to the female that Victor guessed they may be related in some way. Still he observed, but he was bewildered and perplexed and unable to arrange his ideas sufficiently enough to understand the strange propositioned question. "Jekyll?"

It was as if Victor didn't recognise the vocal patterns or type of language Kai was using. So he didn't respond at all to that question not to the overly casual style of talking that the female was partaking in. He wasn't even sure if these two siblings were speaking to him. Victor just stood back and observed as Dr Jekyll and Griffin saw to his new house guests. "They will be properly attired shortly, yes?" He asked with a look of confusion as to how these two were looking at him as if they knew him.

"Yes," Lloyd replied and mouthed a silent sorry to Kai and Nya. Both Nya and Kai were still none the wiser that they were a literal _mind_ down in the ninja stakes.

Simply put; Jay and Zane were really the only two that could likely get them out of this mess and back to their own time line.

Lloyd turned back to face his unstable brother, Jay. The auburn haired brother that didn't recognise anyone except for Igor. "I had intended to reason with you if you saw to it that they could not room with you for these next few nights, it would be temporary of course?"

"They are safer, _here?_ " Victor was asking himself more than anything else.

"Yes, Victor I believe they will be safer here." Lloyd had reiterated, "And they would be forever indebted to you for you beneficence and gracious hospitality. Specifically for the tailor and seamstress that are due to attend them this day."

Victor still hadn't conversed much, it was all just a means to an end. "You will find them better accommodations soon, Jekyll?"

"Victor, I believe we should gather our companions and have an in-depth discussion about all of these new events and findings. And yes, I believe Dorian does have the rooms to spare in his more than adequate stately home."

"That is coming from experience, I presume?" Lloyd inquired with an upturned brow.

Zane chuckled, the feeling of giggling was starting to grow on him, "It is, he has plenty of room to spare but maybe a letter of apology would help to sway him, at least after you berated him last night."

"Why?" Victor suddenly asked, interrupting the flow of banter whilst not taking his eyes of the female, "Why are we doing this? Why do we need to talk of such insignificance, such small things that bore me idly and bear no regard nor semblance of what _I_ need to focus on?"

Zane had cleared his throat abruptly, "Ahem, I-I believe that these links are all inter related." Zane offered, "And, it would be in our best interests to sit and have a gentleman's discussion."

Nya had heard what Zane had said, "Excuse me?" She uttered in astonishment, "Are you planning on having an in depth discussion without me when you know I'm part of the team?"

Victor was confused by her outburst but suddenly entranced by her too. He stood back and watched as the bickering continued between the four individuals. Always observing and calculating, working their human behaviours out. But her...she was different, she stood out from the rest.

"Victor, can you join us later?" Lloyd and Zane asked in unison, "For this discussion?" Zane added.

"M-maybe later...I for one would prefer to retire to my study-" Victor muttered and backed away feeling awkward at the three new peculiar people in his midst, "-indeed too much to attend to this day. One should say too many distractions will befall me to accomplish these tasks I have set myself."

"Victor, I should like to accompany you to your room," Zane offered and joined his side quickly.

"I would prefer alone," Victor stated coldly, "I can do this by myself, Griffin, I do not need assistance. Honestly, you think I am weak as _he_ does." Victor stated with the clearest sign of tears in his eyes.

"You too, all of you think I am incapable of this." Victor mumbled further and yanked his arm out of Zane's firm grasp.

"Mere small minded..." he hissed and turned his back, struggling out of the basement with a sickly green look about his person. "The dreams that haunt me and keep me a moment from her are the same dreams where I see a blue man in my eyes." He mumbled as he traversed the ebony black steps. "Opium is the answer to all these woes, the voice in my mind."

Closing his study room door with a click he locked the door securely and rolled his sleeve up high. Victor had grabbed the rubber tubing and placed it around his upper arm. He pulled it as tight as it would with one half of the rubber in his mouth for a tight grip. Once the glass syringe was released, his state of mind altered to a relaxed version and the rubber tourniquet fell off.

The syringe fell to the floor and smashed.

The voice or reason would be gone for another day at least.


	23. A named thing is a tamed thing

Lloyd or his caring villainous side of Jekyll had seen to Jay _in a sense_...or **VVF** as he called him on occasion.

 _ **V.V.F standing for Victor Von Frankenstein.** Typically one of the greatest but most fiendish scientists who had no morals when it came to dabbling in the reanimation of the dearly departed. A man who very clearly didn't care about boundaries pertaining to death._

Lloyd had found the mad scientist in his study. Victor was partially passed out but happy. Still euphoric and docile but capable of listening to some form of reason.

So the blonde haired erstwhile ninja had taken the responsibility of looking after the troubled yet petulant man. He'd placed Victor: whom he saw as Jay, in his bed chambers yet again.

This time however, Lloyd stayed with him. And yes, Victor was initially reluctant to have a 'live in' guest but he eventually agreed to it for fear of being sent to a much worse place than Bedlam. The warning was set, if he carried on with his current route of personal destruction and his damaging addictive personality then he would be sent to a place far worse to begin his convalescence.

In Lloyd's eyes; this current issue of having Jay so 'off the tracks' was losing their team precious time. He needed everyone at the top of their game, in peak physical fitness both mentally and physically because each one of them, in their current body was ageing.

Zane, for example; was in a middle aged body, Cole should have been an old decomposing corpse by now but yet he looked younger than everyone. Lloyd himself was similar to Zane, middle aged and grouchy at times. And then there was Jay, he was supposedly in his late twenties along with the siblings. Both Nya and Kai, were immortally stuck in their late twenties.

Oh to be young and near care free...

But despite all of this, and the fact that his team were slowly coming back together, they still had to approach the white elephant in the room. The white elephant being Jay, or in this instance...Victor Frankenstein.

He was the only member of the team that was struggling. That natural inventor's mind of his was being subdued heavily by chemical components that were detrimental to the mind. Jay himself, was so unaware of the days that were seeming to pass in a heartbeat because he had no physical grasp of what was real or what was a dream. He just felt like he was locked away and kept company by the mad laughter of Victor as he continually flushed his blood system with harsh chemicals to dull his inner voice from interfering.

It had taken almost seven weeks to steer Victor of the Laudanum and opiates that they had found placed surreptitiously around Victor's homestead. _Seven whole weeks later_ and Victor was back to his usual busy self of keeping everything running smoothly without anyone outside knowing that he was harvesting organs and body parts.

The young post graduate was suddenly sought after. He had successfully reanimated an animal in front of some noted professors and had received a large down payment for his contribution to the field of science. Since then, he'd become the popular one by word of mouth and he was invited to banquets and fine dinners, functions and soirees for the upper classes and the young aristocracy.

Yet, always maintaining his dark side and that intoxicating and stifling air of arrogance to other's painful plight's.

The money certainly helped. He'd given a large amount of it to Dorian and Zane to fund their research thesis, of which he'd heard them talking in great detail.

Twas true in that time had he had wooed and bedded the fair maiden know as Mina. He'd spent more than the odd night with her and, after one too many fine red wines they had moved from the boundaries of mere acquaintances to lovers.

She hadn't bit him since that first time though, although she observed him with a strange expression each time they coupled. Each time he held back from shouting out Elizabeth's name before he hit his peak. And each time she allowed him to take her, she would wonder what was going through his mind. She would question herself as to why his eyes dilated as they both moved as one person. Or why he grasped her like a married man would with his wife.

Then there was Zane. The invisible man who really was no trouble. The man who preferred to be called Zane had moved in. It was a personal request of course but a temporary arrangement as he wanted to make sure that Cole was safe also. So the invisible man had chosen to split his time in working between both the Gray residence and Frankenstein heights. Some of the more colourful names that Kai and Lloyd had drunkenly thought up, these ones weren't likely to cause offence if uttered out loud, as opposed to Victor's house of horror, and Dorian's house of wax.

* * *

 **Another soiree, this time just the six of them in the dying evening of mid March 1798.**

All of them were sitting in the main front room with a large decanted bottle of almost depleted cognac on the ebony table and the relevant crystal tumblers in each individuals hand.

Candles were lit and platters of food were served aplenty so it was quite the social gathering had you the invite to such a prosperous gathering of intriguing men and women folk.

Nya, who had an armoire full of exquisite silken gowns was herself half draped over a green rococo chaise like a swathe of scarlet velvet. She was sipping sherry from a feminine crystal glass whilst twiddling Zane's supposed lustrous hair. Though she was unsure of the colour of his strands, she was mesmerised by the feel of it as it caressed her finger tips.

She was partially sat on Zane's knee, playfully dabbing some sort of powder on to his face with her free hand. At least she could see the area where his mouth was now, "I think it's a great idea Zane." She reiterated and dabbed his forehead, frowning when she realised his eyes were hollow.

"Dorian has ordered the manuscripts and detailed drawings, they are due to be delivered in a few days." He couldn't seem to stop smiling at her and her proximity to him.

"Ooh, I can help you build it, if you need assistance?" She offered, "or is there another plan you want to let me in on?"

Zane had nodded and the slightly powdered face of his allowed her to see that he was saying yes without verbalising, "Nya, forgive me...I am guessing that there will be no point in building a replica of the devices we have heard about. However, " he started and sat more upright, "-I want to recreate a smaller scale device for my own research purposes to see for myself just what type of power source and how much is required to power such a device. So you are more than welcome to help in building that."

"Okay," She took another sip, savouring the sweet but strong taste, "-how are we all planning on getting back home if we have no device to use?"

Zane frowned and she could see it for once, "We travel," he said quietly so that only she could hear.

"What?" Nya asked as she leaned back into him, "Tell me more."

"-the capsules they used are rumoured to be too big to ship," Zane whispered, though he was painfully aware that Kai was giving him some awful death glares from being so close to his sister. "-Furthermore; too fragile to move and, as much as I have been told, these devices are located in the Americas, so that is where we will be travelling, once funds have cleared."

"Funds? How much to travel and how many will be going?" Nya asked as she held her glass up for Zane to refill, "Thanks." she winked.

Zane had taken and refilled her glass and his but the whole idea of seeing a crystal decanter and two subsequent glasses hovering in mid air could have been thought of as quite surreal and paranormal to most but in this homestead it was a seemingly regular occurrence. "Cole has used some of Dorian's estate and Victor has sold some of his personal possessions to pay for the initial costings and our potential stay."

"When and how are we supposed to be travelling?" Nya asked quietly as Zane came to sit beside her.

"I estimate two weeks from now, dependent on these manuscripts arriving in good time..." Zane took a sip, "And by boat."

"Boat sounds so much better though, not the Titanic though?"

He laughed softly at her, "No, the Titanic has not been built yet, she is not even a twinkle in the ship builders eyes." Zane stated with a cocky grin.

"Whew that's a relief," Nya smiled and took a further sip, "-the thing that scares me though above all else, is the fact that none of us; except for you and Jay, were the only ones who saw the devices close up."

"Indeed, and I had hoped that a part of me would have been able to remember certain aspects of the device used but sadly I cannot recall as much as I would have liked."

"What about your body?" Nya said quietly, "-and PIXAL, do you think she would have been sent here too?"

He'd not thought of that. She was a part of his consciousness too, at least before the fancy dress party they had attended on behalf of the City Hall. If she'd been sent here, would she even know? If he found PIXAL, would they join together as humans do and experience the newfound physical feelings of compatibility?

"I err, I had not entertained that notion because my original body was shut down-" Zane felt warm all of a sudden and took a deep breath in, "-when it happened I just remember waking up in a chair, cold and largely naked, invisible too! To me, it felt like I had always been in that state, never knowing anything else except for the feeling and memories inside my head of trying to find the answers, or even a cure."

"So, it was a stroke of luck that our very own Dorian came knocking a good few minutes later?" Nya offered with a genuine smile as she hugged him tightly, "He's quite well read. Cole's never let on that he reads science fiction and philosophical novella. He does it to unwind sometimes."

"You obviously caught him reading then?" Zane asked quietly.

"Obviously," Nya repeated with a sly grin, "-but he hid them when he saw me peeking," she whispered back, "Anyway back to the questions." She spoke loudly as she turned to face her brother, Cole and Jay.

Victor, who was luxuriating on a sumptuous green Chesterfield buttoned sofa was sitting between Kai to his right and Cole to his left. He turned his head slightly to look at the dark haired man and narrowed his eyes trying to rid his minds eye of exactly what they both got up to on their steamy weekends together.

In that time, he had learnt that Dorian could be such a cold, ruthless man if he needed to be and at other times he would be a warm and sensual lover. But this night he was excessively moody and the storms from outside reflected in his slate gray eyes and his more than sour disposition.

Victor had not long found out that Dorian had recently had a 'lovers tiff' with Sybil. Last night in fact, and this mood was the fall out from that little spat.

He was thinking long and hard about the question that had just been posed to him. Like his opinion was sought above all others or perhaps they would all put it to the vote afterwards, "would Coal with an 'A' be a good pseudonym?" He asked timidly as he leaned across to the dark haired man to ask his advice before uttering it loudly.

He was pleasantly surprised that Dorian had smiled at his own suggestion. "You like my suggestion Dorian, Coal?"

"Compared to the first suggestion of charcoal, a week ago?" Cole said as he gently and ruefully brushed aside Jay's auburn hair whilst staring into his slightly bruised face and sapphire eyes.

A moment of anger and weakness that Cole had lashed out in response to Victor's impromptu tongue in cheek humour. A woefully regretful thing to happen when the sight of blood was seen on his hand. He'd been gentle with Victor ever since then even.

"Yes, I love it Victor, but maybe Cole with a 'E' would suffice, " He smiled and it radiated such a heat that Victor blushed, "The 'E' makes it less like I was conceived in the colliery mines," Cole whispered, "However, your name still needs a little tweaking to make it seem less conspicuous, do you not agree?"

Victor was almost lost for words, "Wh-what would you suggest, C-Cole?"

"Mmm," Cole moaned, loving the sound of his name on Jay's lips and he leaned back into Victor's side until his mouth was touching Victor's ear.

The black haired erstwhile master of earth was still unsure as to who was guiding this lustful behaviour. He wasn't certain if it was him or Dorian but he rolled with it regardless, "I think the name 'Jay' would suit you well, after all you like it when I call you that at the weekends, when we role play?" he questioned, lifting an eyebrow whilst discreetly licking Victor's ear lobe and making him shiver in response.

" _Ahem_ ," Lloyd cleared his throat in annoyance. He was so close to throwing something at Cole but he bit his tongue at the last moment, "Kai?" He hissed loudly, "stop staring at them," he warned and the hybrid turned his sour face back at Lloyd again,

"My turn, What name would you give to me? This question is aimed at both Cole and Victor?"

The master of earth glowered at Lloyd, he knew they had do this to at least start the ball rolling in preparation in getting Jay's memory back. And if that didn't happen then they would at least find it easier to use these shortened names instead of their own villainous ones. "I'm spit-balling here but I'm seriously thinking Lloyd." This was so lame and boring having to think up reasons as to why each erstwhile ninja had to think up a reason for the original names they were born with.

But, Cole had thought long and hard about the potential implications if they chose to remain as the villains, if they stuck with this path, this perilous journey of 'what ifs'. The time lines were skewed, nothing was right anymore. each on of them had enemies to deal with and some were more powerful than others.

Kai snorted, "Lloyd's bank, because that's where you hide out. Or is that near to where you live?"

"I live next to a bank called Lloyd's, so yes. Votes on that pseudonym them?" He asked, and watched as the majority of convened put their hands up to agree.

"I heard that someone with a certain likeness to you broke into it within a week of the newest branch being opened." Igor questioned from the hallway.

"Haa, busted!" Kai snickered from his position on the firm leather sofa, "Well played Igor, you joining us?"

"I'll be back down shortly..." He mumbled and carried on his journey up the stairs.

"Zip it wolfie!" Lloyd countered, "Thought's on werewolf boy over here, what's the villain name you were born with?"

Kai looked at Nya and back at Lloyd, he had to remember, "Well, I'm h _a_ lf vampire... half lycan... but I'm stronger than both!" He grumbled and then thought of a made up name that would be easier to break down into three simple letters. _"_ Karloff Andreous Ivan," Kai answered as truthfully as he could.

"K, A, I, is that even a name?" Victor asked with a distinct look of confusion, "Maybe an oriental one?"

"Well, you never know Victor, we do have many slaves who come over from far off places such as the wonders of the orient." Zane reasoned with a smug grin, "I personally think Kai is a name and good one too."

He took a nervous breath in and looked at the three men in his midst, all with new-ish names that he was slowly adjusting to, "So, you are now Lloyd," He said pointing to the blonde haired one who sat on the opposite side of the small front room.

"And you are Cole with an 'E'?" Victor noted and further wrote the details down in his notepad, in some strange way of making the information stick.

He looked at Kai with the tamed down spiky hair, "You are Kai?" he cocked his head a little.

"And you-" he said, looking at Zane, "-you are an amusingly unconventional and extraordinary person. Who is both very peculiar and free spirited, you sir are zany."

Zane smiled at that, "True, I am all of those," he stated without elaborating further.

"Zany, what about Zane?" Cole uttered into Victor's ear.

"Zane?" Victor asked with another fine flush on his face, "Is Zane a good name, a good enough pseudonym?" he spoke quietly as he gauged his suggestions on his companions who were all seated around him.

Zane had nodded, his smile could be seen thanks to Nya's facial powder that she had lent him. "I love it Victor, now about your name...Are you happy to be acquiesced with the name of Jay from here on out?"

He nodded as he took on the looks of all of his new friends.

"When you're out and about with us, are you happy to be called Jay?" Lloyd repeated sternly, "Your name and ours, if bandied around will be sure to attract attention in the coming months so secrecy and disguise is key to our survival from here on out. So, knowing this Victor, are you happy and accepting of your new name?"

Victor nodded once again before casting his gaze towards Nya, "What about Mina?"

"Well, Lloyd and Kai had agreed between themselves that an amalgamation of her first and last name would sound better if she was just called Nya."

Victor shrugged his shoulders, "I am accepting of this change, I only have one other question."

"Speak it," Lloyd urged, as he lifted his glass of cognac to take the last drop before Zane would fill it again.

He twiddled with his own hair and noted the colour of it was verging on red, "if we are to be known as different people, should we not alter our appearances somewhat to reflect this change? Otherwise, all we are is a nom de plume?"

"Good idea, _Jay!"_ Lloyd tested the water to watch for Victor's reaction to the new name he'd just used. He was mildly surprised that the mad scientist hadn't flinched at all. "Hair dye for those of us who can alter it, powder for those of us who need blend in."


	24. Indulge me

**9th March 1798.**

"Lloyd?" Kai spoke clearly. The spiky haired man took long strides to join him on the other side of the room for a discreet chat, "We need to arrange a meeting in privacy, away from him." He whispered and pointed carefully at Jay.

The now chestnut brown haired man had his face preoccupied with a certain dark haired man. One who couldn't seem to get enough of the delectable Italian fountain that he kept drinking from.

"I know and we will. We just need to make sure we're all on the same page here." Lloyd replied, tipping his drink up. His eyes scrutinising every person in the room but occasionally settling back on Cole and Jay. "We can arrange another meet up next week, maybe Cole can spare the room at Dorian's."

" _Maybe_? You know he can spare it...four of us live there, "Kai shook his head in disbelief, "Anyway, you think you'll be able to pry his hands off of Jay long enough for him to head a meeting?"

"I have my ways, Kai," Lloyd gave a knowing grin, "Besides, Jay has a short trip to the coast to make with Igor and then we can get Cole's head back to where we need it."

Kai still looked unsure, "What if it backfires? He might revert back into his shell again, be unreachable, become secretive?"

Lloyd leaned across, "I've made arrangements for that too, Zane will be dropping by every few days when he's here and Igor will keep an eye on him when they travel."

"Ya know that we still can't tell him?" Lloyd said almost incoherently, "Victor would have a mental breakdown if he found out about us."

"What are ya saying Lloyd?"

"I'm saying that we can't let on who we are until the time is right and when he's mentally ready for it."

"And when do you suppose that will be?" Kai asked, his eyes burning brightly in the firelight as the last of the late winter sunset shone fleetingly on the horizon.

Lloyd shrugged and walked around switching on the stained glass sconces, "-we'll know when it happens, it might not be very subtle though."

"But what if it happens and we're not here, not even in the country?"

Lloyd didn't have a direct answer to that, but he quickly thought one up, "I'd hope that Igor would be able to 'hold the fort' and keep him safe until we return. Maybe we can have a ticket for him or both of them to join us?"

"You still sure about this whole 'going to America' thing then?" Kai asked again from the opposite wall as he flicked on the switch. The idea of leaving one of their own here was nerve wracking to say the least. This would far surpass that of the dark island, by at least 3000 miles and they'd be no way of getting any reliable contact whilst being so far apart.

"I'm sure that it's the only choice we've got," Lloyd reasoned, "And, I'm fairly certain that I've got all the timelines sorted too."

* * *

Both had walked back into the front room having lit the lower ground floor sconces and lamps.

Kai scrunched his nose up in confusion, "Ya know, I don't have an issue with those two," He mumbled quietly, trying his hardest to pry his eyes off Cole's wandering hands, "It's been on the cards for months."

"You're jealous aren't ya?" Lloyd sighed.

Kai blushed, "just a little but you can't blame me. Those two are _going at it_ like there's no tomorrow and here's me, barely getting by with a kiss."

Lloyd snickered slightly, "-maybe you're a little too rough with the girls?"

"Wh-what?" Kai sputtered, "I'm not rough, at least I hope I'm not."

Lloyd cocked his head, "Kai, you're an animal dude, you howl...I've heard it!"

Kai's blush could be seen against the warming hues of the roaring fire and he turned away again, "can we just drop that, I can't believe you saw?" He said, stumbling with his words, "And, no...I-I'm not jealous. Just, I don't have a personal problem with them admitting their love."

"I do," Lloyd grumbled.

Kai's frown deepened, "What do ya mean? I thought you'd lessened off a bit, given him free rein as long as Jay doesn't get hurt?"

"I know and I did-" he mumbled again rubbing the back of his blonde hair, "just thought that..." he took another sip of his drink, "-I prefer it when Jay, well, Victor is untethered to anyone. It makes him focus more. He's easier to understand and less likely to wander off into his own world." Lloyd's voice quietened by the second.

"Well, their relationship is keeping them both busy," Kai mumbled red faced as he watched Cole pull Jay out of the room with a dark look in his eyes. "At least he's keeping an eye on him, when we cant!" Kai half cringed with his own suggestion.

Lloyd stiffened against the wall, "but what's gonna happen when we get back home? Or even worse, when Jay gets his full memory back? You think he'll still want this or will he go back to getting in with Nya again?"

Kai turned his nose up at that thought, not that he enjoyed seeing his sister sad or anything. He'd prefer it not to be a ninja that she dated. He want her to be settled down with someone who wasn't in such a dangerous line of work, "Lloyd," He said under his breath, "Jay and Cole have been hiding these feelings for months now. It's only because of Dorian that he's so forward with it and that he's plucked up the courage to finally ask."

Biting jealousy a few minutes later when he heard Victor's bedroom door slam shut, "Victor's not a very good host, is he?" Kai gave a smug grin.

"Take it he's over her then, Sybil I mean?" Lloyd's voice returned back to the normal volume. Thus drowning out the sounds that he could hear from one floor up.

"Yeah I'd say..." Kai rolled his eyes, mentally face palming as he slammed the doors to the sitting room to block the noise further.

He had thought about what he'd just said. It was fairly obvious that Lloyd didn't know of these newest events because he had been working for the best part of the week, "Shit...You don't know do you?" Kai said, a troubled expression on his face, "Shit, shit, shit..."

Lloyd had turned to face him slightly, his green eyes narrowed.

He was normally the one who knew most because he was the one who spent most of his time on the streets gathering intelligence about their potential threats. He gathered that he wasn't _au fait_ on every little detail though, sometimes his face was a little too recognisable for the dirtier dealings. Those times and meetings called for Kai and Zane. " ** _Know what_** , Kai?"

"She drowned, Lloyd. She turned up dead in the Thames Estuary," Kai's face was partially hidden with his hand as he rubbed his chin in quiet contemplation.

" ** _What, when?_** "

"A few days ago-" Kai said, chucking back the strong liquor, "-James, her brother was notified by the police. He came to see Cole within a few hours and he tried to beat the crap out of him."

"Shit, this isn't good..." Loyd bit his lip, placing his drink down harshly, "This is bad."

"Well yeah, death usually is," Kai mumbled, twirling his now empty glass, "Luckily Cole had an alibi. Could prove where he was otherwise he'd be hung on the gallows."

"Speaking of Cole," Lloyd spoke quietly, cupping his ear to the door. The blonde haired Jekyll walked to the drinks cabinet and proceeded to pour a double into a rather nice shot glass. Both their gazes were drawn to the floor when Cole had walked back in the room.

The suave black haired man had walked in like he'd just got the cream. He had, in a sense and he was still glowing from the after effects even as he tucked his shirt back in and wiped his face with the back of his hand when Lloyd came to face him.

"Sybil?" Lloyd questioned, as he thrust a scotch into Cole's open hand, "Kai just told me. You need to tell me what happened."

"Why?" Cole asked, his face now bore a thunderous repose.

"Because, as a team and as the leader, I need to know." He reasoned and offered a seat to Cole before joining him.

It took a good few minutes of complete silence between the two. Only the noises of banter between Nya, Zane and Kai could be heard and the occasional tinkering from upstairs.

Cole's face dropped, figuratively. Turning dark and moody as each second passed in a heartbeat, "She killed herself," he stated with a sigh that could have blown over a house of cards from across the room. "- _Never marry_ , Dorian was told." Cole muttered under his breath.

"It keeps all the illusions free and wild, untamed...Nothing owned, only the pleasures shared." His voice sounded harsh and cruel.

Yet his eyes never met Lloyd's gentle gaze, "she found out that Harry and I were at the opium den," Cole bit his lip, shaking his head slightly, "she said she wanted to start a family and I laughed at her, told her we were a bit young...which we are, kind of!"

"I-I didn't want to rush, I mean, we're not even supposed to be here are we? There's no way I'm gonna marry her." He took a sip and swilled the drink around in his hand.

"She was so persistent. Told me that I'd made her one of my whores, laughable really considering how rampant she was a few weeks ago."

"Said she loved me, I said it back. Had to keep her happy, put on this air that everything is alright, that this isn't a massive shit heap we could do without."

"And all the time, I've got Lord Henry, sorry Harry." He corrected and took another drink, "-I've got Harry on my back, poisoning my innocence, telling me what I should be doing and how I should be doing it." He downed the remainder of his drink in one and grabbed a large tumbler, filling it to the top. "-Then he came to visit me after a particularly long day with Harry,"

"Who's he?" Lloyd questioned,

"Jim, uhm James is Sybil's brother-" Cole took a large gulp of the drink, never once looking into Lloyd's eyes, "-James came over and gave me the gift I gave to her. Said he didn't want it in their house anymore."

"I had to ask why she didn't want the gift, but I already knew," Cole slumped down and covered his face, "I had to act all indifferent. Act like I truly loved her...I saw the scarf I gave her, I felt it. It was cold and wet, covered in filth from where they dragged her out of the river." He shuddered and felt the same chill going through his every fibre.

"That's sick," Lloyd recoiled slightly.

Cole rolled his eyes, "Fuck you Lloyd, you've no idea what's it's like to find out that your words were responsible for killing someone." He drank the contents of his tumbler and slammed it down on the table.

"She loved Dorian and I know he loved her but..." he rubbed his face again, "It was supposed to happen wasn't it?"

"Acting at its finest," Zane said softly, "I am sorry Cole, we cannot run from some of these events. They have to run their course, some we can avoid but they may all catch up with us in the end."

" _Great_ , so what villains have we go to look forward to then?"

"Not villains, Kai," Lloyd interjected with a slow shake of his head.

"We're the villains Kai," Cole stated with his head down.

"Wait, I knew that...we don't have enemies though, do we?" The werewolf hybrid asked.

"Everyone has enemies!" Lloyd stated with a deep sigh.

"But we don't have enemies, we're the villains, Cole!"

"Did you ever read any of these stories, Kai?...The bad guys always get it and it's the good guys that get the cred."

"Name me our enemies then, come on?"

Cole licked his teeth in annoyance, "Fine, I read extensively when I was younger...but sure, I'll entertain you-" He stared at the empty glass and laughed at the fact they were all drinking alcohol like middle aged men. Their bodies were beginning to age rapidly with this indulgent lifestyle.

He cleared his throat again, "-Nya and you have Van Helsing after you." Cole thought long and hard about Zane's, "-Zane, he's the model of science that lacks any humanity. His enemies are those villagers that turned against him, they were the ones that were responsible for his death, at least in the novel, until I came to his rescue." He smirked in Zane's general direction.

"And, thanks to you Cole, we averted those series of events, for now..." Zane mumbled, "-I am considered safe whilst I am with all you."

Cole smiled, it was forced, "-then there's Jekyll," he said quietly as he turned to face Lloyd who was sitting at his side, "Your only enemy is Hyde, and when he finally takes over your friendlier alter ego of Jekyll, we're all screwed."

Lloyd shrugged at that, he still had plenty of phials made up of his daily medication, enough to keep Hyde at bay, "And what about you?" Lloyd asked, unsure if he wanted the answer, "Your enemy would be?"

"I reckon fire kills me, thanks to Lord Henry's daughter." Cole shrugged, unconcerned for the time being, "She's just turned eighteen though, don't think I'll be at any risk for at least a year."

"What makes you say that, she might be a young firestarter or arsonist?"

Cole cocked his head at Lloyd's suggestion, "because I'm destined to take her virginity and Harry locks me in the attic and set's fire to my house. Like I said, a year or so from now though."


	25. General Gray

**The dearly departed Sybil.**

It had only been a week since her passing. A supposed suicide according to the police after the inquest ruled out murder and foul play.

And now, Sybil had been interred into the cemetery only the day past. Twas said to have been a beautiful ceremony that Dorian had only heard about in passing because he was not welcome to attend the family event.

Her brother had also visited the night just past. His unexpected visit was likely a result of the wake following the celebration of Sybil's young life.

Cole, being the gracious host, had invited him in. It appeared, as he would've expected, that James was completely beside himself with grief that no amount of consoling nor alcohol could calm or quell. He was a broken man, destroyed by the loss of his sister, and as such, the man known as James had lashed out in emotional anger. His wrath was solely focused on Cole. Supposedly, he was the one responsible for Sybil's early and untimely death.

James, was of the belief that she committed suicide because of how cruel Cole's final words were to her.

It was a bitter pill to swallow. Sybil, the poor sweet girl would've still been alive if it weren't for Lord Henry. That man and his dark ruthless mind. Love was a joke to him and it never seemed to be spoken of when he was in the vicinity. He was the one that pushed and pushed the subject of Cole being too young to wed and settle down when there were so many other things he could do with his life at this young age.

James hadn't fared well after that, he was knocked out with the one solitary punch. Cole tapped into his almost forgotten 'hand to hand' training to deliver a blow strong enough to down the rather rowdy opponent. James had obviously drank too much before coming here, he was looking for trouble or something to calm his unbearable loss. Physical pain to take away the mental anguish of having one's family ripped from you by the cold ruthless clutches of death.

James had promptly left with a broken nose and two black eyes after being unceremoniously thrown into his carriage. Cole even paid the fare to the horseman.

It was obvious that James had cared for his sister when she was still alive. Dorian had too, Cole also, _to a certain extent_ ….He'd read the book, he wasn't completely cold to her. He'd rather enjoyed her company, but he sure as heck didn't love her…not in the slightest.

She was too demanding for one.

It was all inevitable though, her death, James anger, Dorian's painting that continued to rot and wither.

 _Then of course, in his younger years, Cole had read the book of Dorian Gray. Though he wasn't even sure why his father Lou had a philosophical gay novel in his house, he'd read it regardless. From mid way through the book he found he couldn't put it down because it stirred a little something inside of him…something he thought of as dark. Years had passed after that but Cole had never have divulged to anyone. Never wanted to mention that he might have been different, not even to his best friend Jay. So he played it cool on the Bounty, acted all indifferent and brushed off the girlfriend jokes like the taunts didn't mean anything. Heck, to avoid the constant teasing, he made it look like he could hold down a relationship, sure he enjoyed them when they came along. But they all ended the same way. Cole lost interest quickly._

* * *

Another morning had come around in this most unholy of places…Dorian's house.

It wasn't a home perse, there was nothing remotely homely about it. It was another one of the Devil's houses.

That fact was further exacerbated by the eerie incessant wailing coming from the attic, which Cole knew to be coming from the portrait of Dorian Gray. The now hideous depiction of his true self showed nothing but death and degeneration including every evil he had ever committed since the painting had been commissioned. His face wasn't recognisable anymore, the picture was too gruesome to comprehend. So now, the picture remained hidden behind a dust sheet. A rich piece of fabric that had previously been used in coffins and caskets.

The picture itself was locked away in the attic and the key to that room was always around Cole's neck.

Everything about Cole's other side was dark. The house he lived in was on par with Victor's. Gray sandstone walls and steps adorned the frontage. Whoever graced the steps of this place either got a bad vibe. There were evil undertones in this very house all surrounding the man who lived here.

Black double doors greeted anyone who dared to visit, with further black walls and mahogany panelled ceilings that covered those bright friendly murals that had been there when he was once innocent. Faded glass sconces with oil lamps that were hardly ever lit. Black furniture in every room, he favoured the colour, even his name was dark and ominously depressing. Cole didn't care, he loved black anyway, didn't see the problem with living with this colour night and day.

Now wide awake. The dark haired master of the house had risen from his slumber. Though he was exceptionally fair of face, Dorian wasn't the type of young man that you'd associate with whores, opium dens or the daily testing of himself and pushing his body past all those healthy limits. He was the devil incarnate with an oddly ageless face, a hit with the ladies, old and young, even males seemed to fall for his looks, and, of course it all proved to make his ego that much bigger.

The omnipresence of evil seemed to follow him everywhere he went. Though he didn't usually attract the wrong type of attention, _much,_ he still got into the odd fisticuffs fight when he wasn't liaising with Lloyd et _al_.

On one occasion, when Cole's mind was in control rather than Dorian's, he tried something else...he'd actually let them win because, secretly he knew he couldn't be hurt. Then he'd found that having seven shades of shit beaten out of him was exhilarating too, another experience. Cole had barely made it home that time but when he woke the next day, all the wounds had gone. No bruises, cuts or scrapes...the devils' work at its finest.

An evil smirk on his face as the master of the house scooted off the bed and stretched his arms wide. Chancing a quick glimpse to his knuckles. Cole was expecting to see some bruising there after his well-aimed right hook had connected with bone yet there was nothing there. It took some getting used to. To know that his body wouldn't retain the wounds of any conflict he suffered, only the picture would.

Looking around, he noticed his bath chamber door was ajar. Evidently, his housemaids had drawn him a fresh bath, left him a freshly pressed set of black velvet breeches to wear, alongside his black silk waistcoat and deep crimson cravat. His colour for this day was dark and moody, just how he felt at being stuck in this alternate reality.

Oh how he missed the shower, so much quicker. But, in the bath, he took the time to reflect.

Once bathed and dressed, the young looking man with no conscience and a soul tainted by the devil had left his room in the early hours.

Zane was still in his room, Cole noted he rarely left because of the looks cast his way when his powdered concealer ran out. Even when he stayed with Jay, he rarely left the London townhouse,

Cole rapped the huge wooden door gently. "Zane?" He whispered the name so as only the occupant could hear him.

The door groaned and creaked as it opened. Cole could see the silhouette of Zane at his desk. His crouched stance looked to be deep in concentration. "Sorry Zane, didn't mean to interrupt. You sleep well?" He asked with some uncertainty.

He couldn't even see Zane's face, nor the expression he was pulling. The whole thing was still unsettling for Cole, even more so for Zane.

Zane grumbled in response. " _She is_ sleeping," he said, with his blanket covered arm pointing to the bed. Luckily he used his arm rather than his hand. That would have been awkward.

Cole rolled his eyes, he would yet again, have to explain that his odd house guest had brought home a female during their party last night. "Not addicting then, Zane?" It was said with a knowing smirk and a fair amount of teasing.

"Uhm, something arrived early this morning. I didn't want to disturb you though, so I thought that I'd surprise you with them this morning." He reached behind his back and pulled out some leather bound scrolls that had arrived via the postal service.

"What are these?" Zane asked, looking unsure as to the large leather scroll holders.

"Express delivery from the Americas, brought across the Atlantic by clipper with strict instructions upon arrival to be hand delivered to the Gray estate."

"These are the replacements I mentioned," Cole said eagerly as he took off the twine that secured all three scrolls and then broke the wax seals that held their US security seals together. "Took quite a bit of bartering too and they cost me an absolute fortune to source."

Zane had undone the waxed covered leather straps, and pulled the sheets out with some difficulty. Once free of their binding, Zane had further cleared the desk so both could be laid out flat. There was an additional rolled up newspaper article pertaining to their meaning.

Cole knew that Zane would be able to make some sense of them, even if he couldn't. He lost patience trying to explain it last night. Finally, he placed two tins of a large size, both shaded pressed powders.

Zane hadn't really spoken, he seemed exhausted, like he'd been up most of the night.

"And uh, you know what these tins are, right?" Cole said as he pushed the tins closer and popped open the lids with a flick of his thumb.

Cole knew since seeing Zane like this, that it was difficult to gauge a reaction from him, at least physically. He had to rely on verbal cues. "Loose powders from France, apparently you only need the smallest amount of water to make the powder become a paste then it'll stick." He grinned widely, "-oh, this stuff can be applied all over too, not just the face."

"Can I?" Cole asked with one hand out palm up in waiting for Zane to notice. The odd feeling of Zane's warm skin settled in Cole's palm and the erstwhile master of earth smiled. He gently took hold of Zane's arm and rolled up the blanket. Cole felt for the warmth of Zane's fingers before picking up a small dampened muslin cloth. He touched it onto the pressed powder and dabbed it gently onto Zane's fingers. "I mean, it should last longer than the other stuff, plus I got you a really pale yellow one, for your hair."

He snickered slightly, leaning in to whisper, "-I don't think they do titanium yet, unless you want liquid silver pouring but I'd seriously question your mental state and pain threshold if you said yes."

Zane yawned, momentarily disinterested in such things as appearance. But to entertain and to seem grateful, he held his hand up in front of his face. Cole wasn't wrong, he was astonished, it actually looked like a close second to real skin tone. "I-I am impressed, Cole."

"Phew, for a second there, I thought you were just blanking me." Cole sat back now happily watching as the dampened cloth was dipped into the power and then placed on Zane's invisible arm, which soon came became visible as the man flexed his muscles, making more of his arm clearer to see.

He was quick to apply it to his face, arms and legs even whilst Cole was still in the room. He stood abruptly and ran into the adjoining bathroom without saying a word.

Cole noted he had taken both tins with him and he smirked in response. "Take your time!" He hollered and then clamped his hand over his mouth as the female occupant shifted in Zane's bed.

"Oh my!" Came an astounded gasp from the bathroom. "I had no idea of the….the…..uhm…this is most awkward. How do I get it into the creases?" Zane was mumbling, "Ahh I see now, stretch it out….oh my, quite the length and shape."

Cole was struggling to contain his laughter, instead he smirked and the grin spread so far across his face he struggled to keep the laughter from escaping. "I'm sure the females don't mind it though?"

"N-no, they don't mind it at all, ahem….I-I mean, th-thank you Cole."

He could tell by the voice and the lack of coherency that Zane was hugely embarrassed. Although, there was some gratitude there too.

Ten minutes later, by Big Ben's clock. Zane had emerged the bath chamber in a Egyptian cotton towel which he had slung low around his now visibly muscled waistline. The man looked incredibly toned for an older guy and what was more charming was the huge lopsided yet guilty grin he was now wearing.

He had even managed to powder his hair effectively. It resembled the same shade as Lloyd's, both now almost platinum blonde. Zane's however, looked like he had put some sort of product in it, because it had stiffened so much that the breeze from the window hadn't moved one single strand.

"Thank you, but, when did you find the time to get these? I know you've been excessively busy as of late," he muttered, placing both tins down and into a locked drawer.

"I spent some time down by the docks a few weeks ago, ya know, when Lloyd threatened me? I saw the ships coming in and unloading their cargo and stuff. Some only went to France and Europia, others went further afield, for silks and gold." He shrugged, smiling, "I placed an order with the French merchant naval ship at the London dockyard. Three a month, for delivery here, just for you."

"I-I err, I feel excessively warm, maybe I am ill?"

"I think it's called gratitude and maybe a hint of embarrassment, at a guess," Cole was quick to offer a reason. "Did you put the powder _everywhere?_ " His eyebrows were raised, the grin still remained.

"I did, well I tried." Again with the grin, he was attempting to fan himself. "And, thank you. I _am_ grateful."

"Did you apply it liberally? Like, everywhere?" Cole repeated, whilst struggling to contain his laughter. "Fair enough, you want me to get that patch under your shoulder blades, the only bit that you've missed?" He took the cloth that Zane still held and proceeded to rub the paste into Zane's back until the man in front of him looked more like a walking oil painting, minus the cracks. "Much better, so onto these then." Cole said, pointing to the scrolls as he threw the muslin cloth to the side.

Zane carefully unrolled each scroll and placed glass weights on the topmost before looking at them in great depth. "Are these the true originals?"

Cole nodded eagerly and rapidly rubbed his palms together. "The other's were archived copies."

Zane couldn't be sure if he was rubbing his hands together in glee or if he was cold. "Well at least we know their names now. Both professors too, studied at the finest establishments the Americas could provide before coming to England to further their studies. Practised in the arts of electrical manipulation and chemical engineering."

"Th-these are the original schematics, do you realise what this means Cole?" Zane turned his gaze towards a stupidly grinning Cole.

Cole shuddered slightly at the visualisation of a man who had no actual clearly defined eyes. Zane's eyes were still hollow. "Zane, glasses dude, please!"

"Oh, right….I apologise." He scooped up his glasses and begrudgingly placed them on the bridge of his nose. "It means we can attempt to recreate what they made. Obviously we have to exercise caution because we have not had any immersion in this line of engineering."

"I know, I know, but it means that we're that one stop closer to getting out of here."

Zane sighed and leaned back in his chair. "But we need everyone to help with this. I cannot do it alone, I lack the man power and the time constraints are too great to achieve in the time scales we have."

"We'll sort something out Zane. Nya can help during the night and we can try and recruit Jay, sure he'd love to help out if it means getting him out of his house."

Zane slowly shook his head, "No, Jay cannot know of this."

Cole frowned at that, uncertainty again clouding his thoughts. He felt stupid asking but he did so anyway. "Why?"

"When we got here, initially, something happened to Jay. Lloyd and myself correctly deduced that as an effect of time travel on a mind as genius and deranged as Victor Frankenstein, he simply forgot who he was, rather he remembers who he is. I believe the correct term for it would be simply impaired functioning with a non-existent sense of objective reality."

Cole didn't miss the sigh Zane had let out. "And what does that even mean?"

"It means that Jay is unstable. His mind seems more focused on achieving his goals of reanimation than caring for the ones he hurts. Lloyd's alter ego seems to spur him on in that aspect, they are both as bad as each other."

Sometimes the way that Zane spoke to him made Cole feel like he was back at school, being reprimanded by his dramatic arts teacher. "So what do you suggest then?" He asked with less enthusiasm than before. "I really don't want to take a long journey with someone with mad anger issues like Lloyd has."

"We have to. We have no choice Cole and we must do this, _without Jay_." His eyes were firmly on the drawings, "We need to travel to find the research laboratory where these original machines are located."

Cole shook his head. "But that could take ages, don't think they do passenger jets in this era. Just boats across the Atlantic, it could take weeks." He felt like he was whining but he needed Zane to see reason.

"Not weeks Cole, _days_!" He was smiling and for once Cole could see that it was genuine and not laced with sadness. "Steam boats operate across the Atlantic and at most it would be ten days."

He didn't much like the idea of leaving Jay on another continent. It was akin to leaving him on the dark island with a gigantic monster trailing after him.

From what he had been told from his closest companions, the Americas were at least 3000 miles away. And with no easy way to contact each other could prove perilous for the one who would be left behind. "But you know about his story line. You know he can't be left on his own, it's too risky."

Zane's expression quickly turned dark, "Look at it this way, Cole, whose story line is erased first? Which Protagonist comes along and saves the day, eradicating the villain? MINE, then YOURS, THEN NYA's! Stop worrying so much." He huffed and sat back down. " _You_ are turning into your character day by day."

Cole recoiled slightly at the harsh tone. Undeterred he carried on, "I-I'm not being selfish, I'm being reasonable, far more than you are at least. And, yeah you think I don't already know all of this. Story arcs were my life when I was at school. I hated the dramatic arts but I made it my job to study these classics hard, because I wanted to pass the module."

"Indeed, and for that I am grateful…" Zane replied nonchalantly, further grating on Cole's positive outlook.

He huffed in defeated resignation. "You're wrong Zane, I still think we should take Jay with us. He'd be safer with all of us keeping an eye on him than he would be here on his own."

"You are only saying that because you want to keep up this relationship with him? And furthermore, he is not on his own, is he?" Zane argued back. "He has Igor with him, a companion to keep him safe from harm."

Cole bit his cheek _. Yeah because that worked out so well a couple of months ago._

A knock on his door made both young men straighten up considerably. "Enter."

A well-dressed housekeeper had walked in to speak with the master of the house, "If I may sir, Lord Henry Wotton will be expecting to see you tomorrow, alone."

"Thanking you, I'll try and see if I have any time free." Cole noted the housekeeper was still standing there. "Yes?"

"Sir, you have a guest. A gentleman by the name of Dr Jekyll."

"Thank you, invite him to the sitting room and I shall be down in a few short moments. A few affairs to sort whilst I am up here, I shan't be long."

The housekeeper nodded and closed the door, Cole heard his footsteps diminishing before turning his gaze back towards Zane. "I'll be collecting the tickets later but I'm booking an additional for Jay, just in case we can alter his mind set in the mean-time." His tone unwavering, he was adamant that Jay should come too.

Despite the earlier happy mood, Cole's face was dark and scowling at the thought of what Zane had uttered. He hadn't been the only one to mention it either, Kai had too, only last night. "So, how long do ya think you can get a replica made? I mean, you got everything you need now."

"Difficult to gauge. These things take time Cole, at a guess, I could make one crude miniature replica within a few weeks."

"Just, just see what you can do. I gotta go see what Lloyd wants," he muttered, standing abruptly. Cole had swiftly turned his back on Zane and walked off with a mildly annoyed look on his face.

He took a quick detour up into the attic and stood looking at his picture. He scratched his face nervously and looked for any signs on the cursed oil painting to see if it heralded any clues as to what he should do. He guessed that maybe he should collect the tickets first then take a glimpse at the picture later, maybe arrange to have the picture set in a secure mausoleum to avoid fire damage whilst he was due to be away.

So it was with a heavy heart he covered up the picture and stepped foot outside of his attic space, where all of his dusty relics and mementos of his characters' life lay dormant, rotting away pitifully in a loft. Telling of times gone past, futures altered and lives lost.

He didn't want to do this, he hated it. What if he had got a story arc wrong, maybe mixed up the dates somehow or mislaid the ages of each villainous character before their demise.

He couldn't think on it for long as he heard the all too familiar sound of a nearby door closing none too quietly.

He peered around the corner and noted Zane walking from his room, arm in arm with a female companion.

He made his way down the huge oak staircase, stroking his hand down the polished wooden handrail, the other hand swept his black locks from his line of sight. He made a quick detour to visit the housekeeper and keeper of his personal accounts. He signed the form for a large bank transfer to be made to the shipping company for their luggage to be shipped securely and further transportation for five with a sixth ticket just in case.

He had a huge gut wrenching feeling that he would live to regret this, he just couldn't shrug it away as easily as Zane could.

A swathe of blonde hair caught his attention.

He saw Lloyd in his finery as he sat in the sitting room staring into the open fire. He certainly scrubbed up well for an older man. He was easily the oldest one out of all of them, making Jay the youngest, at a mere 29.

"Lloyd…" He said with a huge grin.

"So uh how are you guys doing? Got anything to report?"

Cole offered Lloyd a seat before joining him. The maids had at least given them both refreshments and had left them to discuss their private matters without any disturbances.

"Haa, well, other than Zane getting a female friend and his irritating sexual habits being incredibly annoying to me." He said, biting his fingers in annoyance. "Plus, his antics are making my playboy reputation slide." He said with a coy smile.

"The only bit of good news I got today was the schematics of those machines that sent us here in the first place."

"I can remember you mentioning those a few week ago, the originals went missing huh?" Lloyd said sheepishly.

"They did, you missed quite a bit when you reverted to Hyde, didn't ya?" Cole noted. He knew where the schematics were because he had left them on Zane's desk, "-replacements, they only arrived today, but we've sorta made plans already, well Zane has."

Lloyd was all of a sudden acting like an excited child, it was surreal to see a man in his forties acting so strangely. "That has got to be the best news _ever_ , so what now, I mean do we get to recreate it or something else?"

Lloyd noted a drop in tone, the smile was dropping too. "What happens now?" He repeated with some apprehension.

"Before we go there, Zane said he might be able to recreate a miniature scale one, ya know to see how well he can read the plans and diagrams." Cole was frowning now, poking at the fire with the various tools at the hearth side.

He took a deep breath in and released it. This was getting awkward because Lloyd had been the one to instigate the whole thing and yet all of a sudden he had forgotten about the plans he'd made. "Can you remember when you said that we'd be planning to sail to where the machines are?"

"I think I can," he shrugged his shoulders but his bruised face was still smiling although it soon turned into a frown, but only because Cole was. "What's the problem? Seems okay to me, I mean when was the last time we all had a proper get together?"

"Zane says it'll be all of us…minus Jay." He added the last part so quietly but Lloyd had managed to hear.

And at that moment, Lloyd knew Zane's reasoning for choosing that hard decision. They had both mentioned it when Jay had been admitted to Bethlem, judging on his mental state and his blasé attitude to things living and dead being insignificant and such.

"It's for a good reason though," Lloyd said, solemnly, "Come on Cole, you kinda know this right? Besides, he wouldn't be able to focus on anything whilst his creation still walks around, because it's all he ever thinks about." His gaze had also drifted to the flames as had Cole's.

The uncomfortable atmosphere and awkward silence that ensued felt like an eternity had passed.

"Plus, we all know he's safe for the meantime, as long as he stays in this country hehe. Plus, he's not likely to travel anywhere is he, he sorta stays put in London?"

Cole was still silently considering everything. It still didn't sit right with him. Since when did they leave one behind.

"Us guys however, we're kinda at risk now. Me, you and Zane, plus Van Helsing is hot on Nya and Kai's trail of bloodshed." He tried a small grin to lighten the mood but Cole's face was unmoving as he stabbed at the large burning log.

"So when is the travel date?" He asked quietly, coming to join Cole on the chaise.

Cole sighed again. "The beginning of April. It gives us one last group gathering before we depart from London docks. Maybe we can do something special for Jay being as we'll be away for a while?"

"We will," Lloyd replied, casually hugging Cole's waist. "Cole, it'll be fine, hey you remember the second gathering, the one where we prompted him to choose our names?"

Cole nodded and smiled a little. "Yeah but it just proved a point though didn't it?"

Lloyd half shrugged, "It did, but we did it to see how much he could remember, we just put the names into his head and he kinda just went with it, after much deliberating."

Cole cringed. That one time he had flipped at Jay; he hit him for being sarcastic, comparing Cole to a chunk of charcoal. Jay's face was bruised for a good few days after that slip of the tongue. And Cole had done all in his power to make it back up to him. He'd promised he would never hurt Jay and he had, he'd flat out punched him between the eyes. Cole leaned back and groaned. "Well actually we had to make it into a game, we voted for the names."

"In the end, that was the only way because he was too scared to offend you."

"Yeah, I know." A light bulb moment hit him, "He's not himself, I get that. You're saying he's too much of a risk aren't ya?"

Lloyd nodded his head. He said no words but his arm remained. "It won't take long Cole, I promise we'll be back before the end of summer."

Cole nodded pensively, a deep sigh, his mind refreshed slightly because he had no reason to believe otherwise.

"Remember what I said last night?" Cole asked as he turned the log in the hearth. Normally his housekeepers would tend the large fire and hearth, stoking it and filling it with fresh cut logs. But in this instance he wanted to focus on what had to be done. His stomach clenched as he fought his own feelings within.

"Sorry Cole, everything about last night I forgot." His face and expression showed nothing but embarrassment at having lost control of Jekyll, allowing Mr Hyde to surface.

"Ya know, because I look young, people round here don't tend to realise that I'm actually older than I appear." He placed the fire tools back down and sat back on the black velveteen chaise. "So, because of that fact...I had to ask a favour of Harry, small thing though."

"What for, why did you need a favour from Henry?"

"Because no-one around here believes that a person like me would be interested in the fields of science."

"Why not?" Lloyd asked, frowning.

Cole raised an eyebrow as he stared back at the fire."Because I still look like a teenager, mostly. They wouldn't take me seriously."

Lloyd avoided the inevitable giggle by biting his lip. "How did you get past that, how'd you overcome it then?"

"With Henry's help, I was able to find out about these two men we all encountered. I dig a bit of digging around and I found out where they were based, originally. It was how I was able to find these prints, the originals. It was because of Henry, he helped me... _for a price_."

Lloyd looked across at him, worry clear on his face, "Nothing you can't handle though?"

Cole shook his head, laughing. "Just another thing he wants me to try."

Not that Lloyd was overly concerned with Henry, he was extremely dubious of the sheer lack of morals he exuded on a daily basis. Henry was a two faced man who thought nothing of ruining the innocence of others, as evident in Dorian's now debaucherous youth. "So, uhm, how is Sybil's mother?"

Cole recoiled slightly at the change of conversation to a topic he didn't want to discuss. "Why do _you_ care?"

"Because, Unlike Lord Henry, I won't encourage you to turn away from her death or treat it like some entertaining fantasy."

He shook his head, letting a half laugh escape his lips. "You're a killer, Lloyd. You've no _right_ to talk about this like you know what you're _talking_ about."

Cole shrugged, he was smiling in a mildly agitated state, "Maybe Lloyd, you're too much afraid of life yourself?"

Lloyd didn't have a response to that. He bit his tongue instead.

"Anyway, back to what I was saying," Cole said, staring into the flames as they licked at the log. "Henry came through…gave me an issue of the Massachusetts Spy that depicted these two _professor's_." He fished through his inner waistcoat and found the offending article.

"They were both barred from practising or teaching, wanted for murder." He unfolded the broadsheet, leaning across he passed it to Lloyd.

"Are these the guys, they look uhm, _different_?" Lloyd noticed some well placed graphite devil horns, evidently drawn on by Cole.

"Well yeah, but two things: they were dressed up, remember? And, obviously the person who took the photos has a shitty camera, not like my dad's Nikon D4." Cole groaned, "just trust me Lloyd, these are the assholes who sent us here."

He stabbed the log with the poker in such a fashion the chunk of wood cracked in half. "And when we find a way to get back, they're fucking dead."


	26. Run and Hyde

The more Lloyd thought about it the better it became. So here it was, as he sat in the sitting room mid morning, perusing the small handwritten list. Firstly there was Cole, he had already given details of his own foes, the ones who sought to end him or destroy his precious picture, same with Zane, himself and Jay, all written down and accounted for.

His fingers moving down the list. Then there was Kai and Nya, their foe was one and the same, Van Helsing. Both siblings had an insatiable desire for the taste of human blood, the only drawback, whilst in Vampire aspect, neither entertained the thought of consuming something else, lest it be a bottle of recently donated blood.

Lloyd, whilst in his Jekyll persona, had questioned himself on what it actually was, thinking perhaps the blood lust was a source of nourishment required for homeostasis and quite literal survival or perhaps it was an addiction? Technically to become a vampire indicated death must have occurred in order for vampirism to have taken affect. Rather a werewolf transformation just enhances the bodies natural ability to heal, to be faster and to travel great distances without breaking a sweat, amongst many other things.

Though, the vision of both of them devouring their own brother was something he would never forget regardless if they couldn't get out of this god forsaken hellhole. He doubted he would ever get that bizarre image from his mind, it was haunting yet macabre. Both Kai and Nya were drinking him dry as Jay had been sleeping. The look of fear and sheer terror on Jay's face was a look he would never forget.

 _The blood…..was everywhere, like a cut throat shave gone horribly wrong._

Obviously they had been careful in selecting the right area to bite down on. Because as soon as Cole had hit them over the heads with a well placed cudgel, the blood continued to gush. It wasn't squirting with an arterial pressure behind it, but it was quickly pooling.

And Jay, _poor Jay_ ended up looking like he was the victim of Jack the Ripper.

 _Oh if only they knew Mr Hyde as well as I._

* * *

Here he was, living with Cole or Dorian Gray, the enigmatic young man who never aged and never bore disease. He watched as the black haired man went about his daily primping routines in front of the grand mirror in the hallway. Concerned for him and his entire team, not once had Cole shown any remorse nor sorrow for Sybil.

Then there was Jay, that masterfully evil mind at play which was the persona that was Victor Frankenstein. A mentally unstable inventor, who took too much laudanum to keep up a regular and understandable conversation with even the most intelligent London aristocrats.

Indeed, it was an an auspicious arrangement at best. One thought out with the best interests of Jay being at hand. The arrangement being; that when Lloyd stayed here, Zane would usually remain at Jay's side. That whole living arrangement had changed in the blink of an eye when last night, for reasons unknown to Cole and Kai, something drastic happened to Lloyd.

Regardless of his nightly activities, being caught or not, there was still exasperation on Lloyd's mind. Not helped by the fact that he himself had arranged the trip and was holding the bulky parchment tickets for their upcoming departure. Six tickets for first class, no steerage, Dorian would never be seen in steerage anymore. Not since Harry had intervened with the whole grand design of changing him into a creature of sin and filth.

" _Cole_? Dorian?" He corrected, calling the latter name, _louder_. He placed the tickets down on the dresser, amidst the inkwells and wax sealing paraphernalia, including Dorian's signet ring with his own sealing emblem.

Cole had wandered into the sitting room, his cases were packed and readily waiting by the lobby door to be bundled onto the carriage for delivery to the port tomorrow. He wasn't answering to his name being uttered, but rather looking down at the travel documents with unease. "We are still going to see Jay tonight, _right_?"

"Yeah, of course." Came the faster than usual response, Lloyd placed his drink down nervously. "Tonight, as arranged."

"Erm Cole, can I talk to you?" He shifted on the velveteen chaise. For some reason it felt like it was covered in spikes, he felt sore all over, still none the wiser about what had transpired the night passed.

"Sure, fire away."

"There's another reason I needed you and Kai to come with me to America. Something not necessarily related to what we might find over there. Something deeper, relating to me."

"Hmm," Cole didn't verbalise. He waited patiently for Lloyd to spill the beans, well the parts he may have remembered. Cole already knew what occurred last night, he was certainly privy to it. Having witnessed the remnants of the evening fall into a level of disrepute he didn't think Lloyd capable of. It was similar to being hungover with no reasonable recollection of just how drunk you'd been.

Cole noticed that Lloyd look humiliated in some ways, in a world of torment, not pain per se, torment and confusion. "Ya know last night, I, well something happened to me."

"Yeah, you let the other part of you take over."

Lloyd picked up on Cole's unimpressed tone. The embarrassment increasing a hundredfold. "So, did I flip out here or elsewhere?" He was sure he didn't want to know the full details, some recollection would be nice though.

"Like it really matters to you, you were in a foul mood." Cole shrugged, grabbing the newspaper and turning to the page in question.

"Come on, don't be like that. You know Hyde almost as much as I do and you know he's prone to flipping out at a moments' notice, bit like my Dad was before the Overlord got inside him."

"Wow, now that's a picture I don't want in my head."

"Look Cole, I'm sorry for what happened last night. Does that make it any better?"

"A little. Still doesn't let you off the hook though. Being as you're supposed to be the one with your head screwed on, the leader and all important green ninja, ya know?"

"I know, and like I said, I'm sorry for flipping out. Could you enlighten me though?"

"Well, let's put it this way, if you were here, this place would look like a shit hole." He hid his impromptu smirk. This place was so ostentatious he couldn't help but feel admiration for Dorian Gray and his lavish lifestyle choices. Just another piece of Cole being chipped away by the ever young and charming playboy, now worries save for his portrait.

"You weren't here when it happened you stormed off when we had an argument about Jay. You started some mad brawl in London, killed and maimed a few people, typical Hyde sort of stuff, hid the bodies at a guess, in Victor's cold storage."

"Phew, got off lucky then?"

Cole nodded, head cocking to the side. "You were lucky you weren't killed." He said, thrusting a copy of a London broadsheet newspaper into his brother's hands. "Lloyd, ya know, you're aren't bullet proof, nor knife proof. You gotta keep us in the loop a bit more, trust us, we're your brothers."

Lloyd cringed when he saw the headlines depicting some crazed killed roaming the London streets. He nodded, hushing his voice as the housekeepers walked past, continuing with the daily chores of sweeping, polishing and beating rugs. "My potion, the one that stops the transformations…"

Cole closed the doors to the black clad sitting room. "What about it?"

He sat down waiting for Lloyd to speak when the truth hit him between the eyes like an ice pick. The story of Jekyll and Hyde and the difficulty of keeping Mr Hyde restrained. The destructive force that was and that will be. In place of the calm and collected Dr Jekyll, the one who could be reasoned with, without dire consequence. Cole bunched his eyebrows together. "Oh god, don't tell me, you're running out aren't you?"

"I am." Lloyd nodded but to relieve the increasing tension he retrieved a sheet of paper that had the number of remaining potions scrawled on. "I have enough phials to last the journey and maybe some for the return. I had thought about weaning the amount down to see if I can prolong them further. So they'll last longer, giving us more time."

Bad idea, unless you can measure the amount you'll be weaning off of. Like a teaspoon less?"

"Yeah, I can do that. I tried to replicate it too, with Zane's help but no matter what I try, the mixture doesn't bind like the original did." Lloyd threw himself back in the chair, grateful that Cole's housekeepers hadn't lit the fire this warm spring morning. "We figured it to be a faulty batch to begin with, well, Zane did. Nothing works, which means that's all the potions I've got"

"Okay, I get it, time sensitive. Which means, you're either gonna need to stay with me or Zane, I don't rate your chances with Kai, you both have addictive personalities."

"Pot kettle black, Cole."

"Fair point." He shrugged, holding his cup of morning tea. "But, unlike you, I don't flip from sane to insane at the drop of a hat. Or Kai, from normal moody night walker to ravenous werewolf who tears the clothes off of all his conquests. No, in relation to you guys, I'm actually the one who's relatively normal."

A scathing masculine voice permeated the room, making both pale faced individuals turn to the newest source of disturbance.

"Normal in that you'll never age?" Kai had walked in, hearing his name called had already placed him in a bad mood.

"Speak of the devil. Morning Kai, Nya up yet?"

"Cole, you know she doesn't rise until sunset."

"Why are you up so early then?"

"Best of both worlds, I can get up early, because I'm an animal and in relation to your unfounded accusation, I can control it now, my girlfriends leave with their clothes intact."

Cole's eyebrow rose. "Maybe you need some pointers from yours truly."

"I don't need any pointers from you. Ya know, if you were a normal guy and not my brother I'd wipe that smug grin off your face and smear it all over the floor."

"Hey, it wasn't my doing, you can blame Harry for that and the rest of it too."

"I bet if it wasn't for the dude that painted that hideous picture, you'd be riddled with a shit load of STD's too, courtesy of Sir Henry?"

"It wasn't always a hideous picture and, the dude has a name, Kai." Cole tilted his head in annoyance. "But yeah, of course, why do ya think my picture is so damned creepy? It takes all the weakness, injury, disease and stuff that this body has endured and it's all manifested into that one portrait."

"No wonder it's creepy, you shown Jay yet?"

"No, Kai. I'm not sure how he'd react."

"Well, I knew how I felt…" Lloyd interjected a grim look on his face.

"That was how I felt too, Lloyd. Shit, that picture makes me look like a fricking zombie because of everything that Dorian has done to himself..." He paused deep in thought. Thinking back to the original philosophical novel, it was once such a beautiful portrait that it was hung, pride of place, above the mantel place in the sitting room. The very place that now bore a large picture of a deserted dining table overlaid with a sumptuous banquet, the banquet that would never be eaten.

On the night Cole had woken as Dorian Gray, the first thing he did was write some mad ramblings including but not limited to each character, their immediate enemies and places where they could be found. Fearing that if he didn't write them down, he'd forget.

Cole, disheartened, had only found the two, Zane and Jay, like old times. Once he knew they were safe and otherwise accounted for, he'd taken that very cautious next step. Unlocking his attic, climbing the rickety stairs into the eaves, Cole had reluctantly pulled back the velvet coffin lined fabric that he knew to be covering the rumoured portrait. And when he did, he was stunned beyond words. It was his chance to reacquaint himself, but when he looked upon it, what he saw was terrifying. It was even worse in real life, or, specifically, the life he was being made to live.

The picture of an old man would have been preferable to what stood before him. This was of a half decayed man. It was of a ghoulish creature, the barest humanoid features possible that hardly differentiated him from the dead and buried. The rest of the shadow of a man looked like he should have been interred long ago.

There was very little human aspect left now, the worst part of the picture now bore mould and fungus, eating the picture away each fibre at a time as the canvas slowly bore the brunt of the damp environs it was constantly kept in.

"It also reflects bad choices, like what happened before Sybil died or when Basil Hallward was uhm, killed."

"And those words spoken in haste?" Kai surmised.

Cole nodded. "Yeah, no matter what I do now there's no going back with my picture…"

"But it's not your picture Cole, it's Dorian's. You, you're getting too engaged and involved with him."

"Thanks Kai, I know, and it's hard not to become too engrossed though when you consider I live here and I can hear it every night."

"Hear what?" Lloyd said.

" **The picture** , dude, seriously come on, I can't be the only other one that hears it?"

"It's just you and me Kai. Lloyd, the picture in the loft groans on occasion. You might think it's creaking floorboards but it's not."

"Great, haunted picture, werewolf, two maniacs, vampire, me and narcissus over there. We're so fricking hooped." He groaned, head in hands. "If we don't get to America we're gonna be stuck like this forever."

"Wow, way to improve the shitty mood, Lloyd."

"Sorry Kai."

"And I'm sorry too guys, specifically sorry to burst your bubble Lloyd, but you won't, you're physically older than all of us. Then there's Zane, _Jay_." he muttered sorrowfully.

"Hey, Cole you can't think like that bro. We'll sort this out, get back home before any of us takes the great dirt nap." His firm, overly hairy hand settled upon Cole's slender framed shoulder. "Anyway, other than Lloyd doing a midnight flit last night, which I should say; awesome job of keeping in the shadows and laying low, ya know, what we all agreed to?" Spiky and extremely unruly hair pointing at Lloyd, followed by some annoyed red eyes.

"I'm sorry okay, how many times do you want me to apologise for that?"

"How much time we got before tonight, Cole?"

"A few hours, still lunchtime, party won't start until sunset." Cole replied.

"A few hours of grovelling should do it, considering it was me that had to drag your filthy ass back here in the dead of the night with blood and god knows what else stuck to you. Haa, actually I had a lot of fun hosing you down."

Not even attempting to supress a smirk at the most recent memory of seeing a bedraggled Lloyd climbing out of a cold water bath. "You didn't hose him down Kai, you chucked him in the horses water trough."

Lloyd's face screwed up tight, displaying his disgust at the thought of having his face licked. "Eww gross. So that's why I smelled like damp dog this morning?"

Unabashed, without a care in the world, Kai shrugged his shoulders. "Yep, needs must. I could've just licked you down though. All that blood was just asking to be licked off."

Lloyd shuddered. "You didn't did you?"

Kai grinned, luckily his werewolf aspect was subdued from the secret pampering session afforded to Lloyd, late last night. "I might've licked your face. I mean, you can't blame me, you looked half dead, so I had to make you look presentable."

"You just had to! Eugh why?" He took a discrete sniff of his exposed skin. His hands, being all that was accessible, now mildly surprised that his hands bore the faintest scent of a soap substitute.

"Because I wasn't gonna haul your ass back here in the still of night with people looking at the both of us. You were covered in blood, like literally drenched in it. I found you in a slaughterhouse Bro, quite impressive really. Even I had a feast, whilst you were out cold."

"What knocked me out?"

"Beats me," he shrugged. "Like I said you were lucky the police didn't catch you, you'd have been hauled in for questioning if they'd seen you in the state I found you in."

"Where's Zane?" Lloyd asked. "Thought he'd be joining us for breakfast?"

"He's with, _well_ , he has female company again." Cole laughed softly. "Cut him some slack though, this whole human body thing is taking some getting used to. He's probably enjoying it far more than is healthy too."

"So that's who I could hear all of this early morning, no wonder he's sleeping so much."

Both Kai and Cole nodded uncomfortably.

Cole took his place in a black leather armchair, papers firmly in hand. "Like I said, he's still getting used to it."

"So," Kai turned to Lloyd, being that Cole was nose deep in paperwork. "What are the final plans for tonight then, being as you two have already been discussing it?"

"I wouldn't say we were discussing it in any depth. Just that we're going to see Jay tonight and it'll be the last time we see him for a good few weeks. Igor will be staying with him and accompanying him. He said he'll keep in contact with us when we get to the other side."

"So, are we supposed to be bringing anything with us? Like a 'see you soon card' or a bottle of finest Scotch whisky to say 'sorry Bro, you can't come because you're insane?' Though, I'm kinda thinking we can spread that out to you too"

"Thanks for the recognition," Lloyd shook his head, mortification rising once more. "As normal as possible, relaxed and calm. We don't want him to become any more anxious than he already is." Casting a disapproving glance back at Cole. The sole instigator who had caused some of these anxieties to surface being that Cole had been the one to kindle the first showings of romance between himself and Jay.

Jay's newfound anxieties could only be attributed to Cole's shows of affection both in the bedroom and when liaising in social gatherings. He created such a whirlwind of emotions to surface that Jay or Victor was questioning his own twisted sanity. He pushed his own feelings of love to the back of his mind in place of his precious creations.

"Transport to get there later?" Kai asked. Staring wistfully at the empty hearth, wishing to see the warmth of his element once more.

"Me and Lloyd are travelling there together." Cole replied, not looking up from the small pile of paperwork in his lap. "Zane's getting there first, then I've arranged a further carriage for you and Nya, at sundown."

"And before you ask, We sail tomorrow, lunchtime. Which reminds me," Cole finally looked up, "I need your luggage too Lloyd. I reckon you've got a few hours to pack before we're due to leave. You don't need help do ya?"

"No, I'm fairly sure I can pack my own stuff."

"Fine, you can pack your own cases, you're gonna need more than one. And, just so you guys know, Jay's planning on surprising us tonight. Be prepared for something horrific."

Lloyd smirked, "And unnaturally masterfully insane."

Kai and Cole grimaced at the thought. It was only Lloyd that knew of Victor's creation, after all, he was the one supplying the majority of components required for reanimation.

"You're gonna love it."


End file.
